Best Campsites at DAWSON CABIN - Ranked by Demand & Photos

About this park

Dawson Cabin is nestled at the base of Ervin Peak in Clear Creek Canyon, at an elevation of about 9,600 feet. It is on the outskirts of the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains. Clear Creek passes near the cabin. The cabin is located in the Leadville Ranger District, which is home to the Sawatch Range, the highest mountain range in Colorado. These rugged, glaciated mountains form the crest of the Continental Divide. Mount Elbert, at 14,443 feet, is Colorado's highest peak and one of ten "fourteeners" located in the District.

Recreation
Off-road vehicle trails and hiking trails are nearby. Some hiking trails lead into the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, which is named for the numerous 14,000 ft. peaks named after colleges, such as Yale, Harvard and Princeton. Collegiate Peaks is the headwaters for the Arkansas, Gunnison, and Roaring Fork Rivers. The landscape is composed of alpine tundra, high lake basins and glacial river valleys.

Nearby
The historic town of Winfield is about 5 miles farther up the valley. The nearest place for pay phones and a grocery store is in Buena Vista, about a 45 minute drive. Visitors can head to Clear Creek Reservoir, about 5 miles east, for fishing and boating. Fish species include brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, and tiger muskie. A few miles further is the Arkansas River, where whitewater rafting is a big hit.