Gunnison National Forest — Cinnamon Pass Road Upper Dispersed Camp

The upper stretches of Cinnamon Pass Road (CR 30 out of Lake City) offer a handful of wide pullouts on rocky benches below the summit. Nothing developed here — no fire rings, no toilets, no trash cans. What you get instead is a front-row seat to the American Basin cirque, golden tundra in fall, and skies that’ll make you forget your own name. Sites are exposed and wind can rip, so stake your shelter down. Altitude is real — some people feel it hard above 12,000 feet.

High-clearance 4WD is mandatory; this is an Alpine Loop road. Season is short: typically mid-July through early October, snow dependent. No water at camp — fill up in Lake City or at lower creek crossings before climbing. Fire restrictions are common and strictly enforced at this elevation — expect full bans most of the summer.

Sleep near 13,000 feet on the Alpine Loop