0
Pull-thru
USFSGrand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest · Colorado
Alpine Ranger Station
Overview The Alpine Ranger Station is situated on the Alpine Plateau at 9,600 feet, in a beautiful alpine valley surrounded by aspen, spruce and fir forest.
Sites1first-come
Elev.9,587ft
Comf.Jun-Sep4 months
Max rigtents
Electricnonesites
From Grand Junction3h41real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 9,587 ft, Alpine Ranger Station has a 4-month comfortable window (Jun-Sep). Winter nights average around 12°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 1 sites are first-come, first-served. No reservations, so arrive early. Within about 4 miles: 2 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and cool nights. Softest on reservability.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Nov
Jun-Sep
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
66%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 8
Last spring frost; first fall frost Sep 23.
48°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Grand Junction
116 mi
3h41
02
Colorado Springs
225 mi
5h23
03
Denver
251 mi
6h02
04
Fort Collins
313 mi
7h08
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 11.2 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 1 SITES
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
1
Prime
1
Sites
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
9
Peaks
2
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
11.2 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.