Bureau of Land Management · Colorado
Box Elder Rec Site
Bureau of Land Management · Colorado, United States
- Sites
- 11
- Cost
- No Fee
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 6,138 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Phone
- 970-882-7296
- Activities
- Boating, Camping
About
BLM campground. BLM's Box Elder Campground is located within the Dolores River Canyon 6 miles NE of Dove Creek. The campground has 11 campsites with fire rings and picnic tables along with two vault toilets. Towering canyon walls cut by the Dolores River dominate this site, and when combined with the shade of the box elder grove and the proximity of the river, provide an element of relief from the summer heat. There is no fee at this site, and camping is on a first come, first served basis. The busiest time of year is when there is a 'boatable release' on the lower Dolores from McPhee Reservoir, generally mid-April to mid-June. Holiday weekends during the summer can also fill up this small campground.
Stay limit: 14 Day Stay Limit.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 20° | 4° | 53° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 40° | 21° | 0° | 54° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 48° | 30° | 7° | 75° | 10 of 11 |
| April | 61° | 37° | 23° | 76° | 9 of 11 |
| May | 71° | 47° | 31° | 83° | 1 of 11 |
| June | 85° | 58° | 42° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 91° | 65° | 55° | 99° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 86° | 62° | 51° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 80° | 56° | 40° | 88° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 65° | 40° | 28° | 77° | 3 of 10 |
| November | 56° | 32° | 6° | 66° | 9 of 10 |
| December | 42° | 22° | -6° | 56° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Dolores River Dispersed Camping · Bureau of Land Management · 0 mi
- Gypsum Valley Recreation Site Campground · Bureau of Land Management · 23 mi · 3 sites
- House Creek · USDA Forest Service · 25 mi · 49 sites
- Mcphee Recreation Complex · USDA Forest Service · 26 mi · 97 sites
- Mavreeso Campground · USDA Forest Service · 31 mi · 19 sites
All public campgrounds in Colorado · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-09-28. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.