Has anyone been up to Navajo Lake on a weekend? With only 9 spots I don't want to get too far and find out that I need to backtrack to the Kilpacker Basin junction where I'm planning to camp near Friday night.
Planning to be up and down Mt. Wilson and then switch basins to camp Saturday night before I head up for Wilson Peak on Saturday night.
Does anyone know if those 9 spots are filling up generally? I know not every weekend can be predicted.
Navajo Lake Designated Camping
Forum rules
- This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
- Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
- Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
- Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
-
Teambigasteroid
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 7/7/2023
- 14ers: 43
- Trip Reports (0)
-
Scott P
- Posts: 9852
- Joined: 5/4/2005
- 14ers: 58 16
- 13ers: 55 14
- Trip Reports (16)
Re: Navajo Lake Designated Camping
Last time i was there on a weekend the sites at the lake were full so we camped higher in the basin.
Edit: See below as our campsite is no longer an option.
Edit: See below as our campsite is no longer an option.
Last edited by Scott P on Tue Aug 04, 2026 7:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
I'm old, slow and fat. Unfortunately, those are my good qualities.
-
PJ88
- Posts: 216
- Joined: 5/10/2020
- 14ers: 49
- 13ers: 25
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Navajo Lake Designated Camping
I was up there in mid-July for a weekend to do these. Got there early evening on Friday and there were only a couple spots left. It cleared out pretty well Saturday and I think there were only like three sites taken, which seemed weird. I think most people were either climbing from Kilpacker or Rock of Ages.
-
dwoodward13
- Posts: 924
- Joined: 3/26/2011
- 14ers: 58 12
- 13ers: 189 6
- Trip Reports (1)
Re: Navajo Lake Designated Camping
They've moved to a designated dispersed camping model this season so this would no longer be an approved campsite. Restrictions go all the way to the Rock of Ages saddle.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/sanjuan/ale ... cy-and-use
-
Scott P
- Posts: 9852
- Joined: 5/4/2005
- 14ers: 58 16
- 13ers: 55 14
- Trip Reports (16)
Re: Navajo Lake Designated Camping
Good to know. It looks like there are three designated campsites just past the lake and one before but that's it if all the ones at the lake are full.dwoodward13 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 04, 2026 6:42 amThey've moved to a designated dispersed camping model this season so this would no longer be an approved campsite. Restrictions go all the way to the Rock of Ages saddle.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/sanjuan/ale ... cy-and-use
I'm old, slow and fat. Unfortunately, those are my good qualities.
-
Teambigasteroid
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 7/7/2023
- 14ers: 43
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Navajo Lake Designated Camping
I appreciate that info, thank you!PJ88 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 03, 2026 10:15 pm I was up there in mid-July for a weekend to do these. Got there early evening on Friday and there were only a couple spots left. It cleared out pretty well Saturday and I think there were only like three sites taken, which seemed weird. I think most people were either climbing from Kilpacker or Rock of Ages.

