{"id":53848,"date":"2026-03-27T20:26:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T20:26:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/nine-designated-campsites-planned-for-navajo-lake-basin\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T18:43:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T18:43:34","slug":"nine-designated-campsites-planned-for-navajo-lake-basin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/nine-designated-campsites-planned-for-navajo-lake-basin\/","title":{"rendered":"Nine designated campsites planned for Navajo Lake Basin"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Wildflowers
Wildflowers bloom along Navajo Lake\u2019s rocky shoreline. The lake is popular for its exquisite surroundings, peaks and ridges. The Navajo Lake Trail is located in the Lizard Head Wilderness of the San Juan Mountains, 10 miles southwest of Telluride and 40 miles northeast of Cortez. (Matthew Tangeman\/Special to The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Camping in the Navajo Lake Basin will soon be limited to nine designated sites under a new management approach by the San Juan National Forest.<\/p>\n

The intent is to reduce environmental impacts to the Dolores River, which feeds many downstream communities.<\/p>\n

The move follows nearly 30 years of monitoring camping impacts to Navajo Lake, located within the 41,000-acre Lizard Head Wilderness, which spans the San Juan Mountains within the Uncompahgre and San Juan national forests.<\/p>\n

Surrounded by three fourteen-thousand-foot peaks, Wilson Peak, Mount Wilson and El Diente Peak, Navajo Lake is the only alpine lake in the wilderness, making it a popular destination for daytime hiking, equestrian use and overnight camping.<\/p>\n

\"Campers
Campers relax under a backcountry tent near Navajo Lake in the Lizard Head Wilderness. (Matthew Tangeman\/Special to The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The basin has seen growing traffic over the years, according to assessments from Forest Service officials.<\/p>\n

The change replaces a more ambiguous system that allowed dispersed camping in \u201cpreviously disturbed\u201d areas with a system of specific sites. Future trailhead signs and on-site markers will identify the nine approved places, giving visitors clear direction on where camping is allowed.<\/p>\n

Dolores District Ranger Nick Mustoe said the change, expected by July, not only seeks restoration but also aims to preserve the basin\u2019s sense of solitude, the wilderness character and the overall camping experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is first-come, first-served into those nine spots. We\u2019re not requesting a permit or anything like that. But if they\u2019re full, we\u2019re asking folks to to hike out of the basin to spend the night,\u201d Mustoe said.<\/p>\n

Timing for the new system depends on access to the high-elevation terrain and available staff. Seasonal recreation staff are expected to assist with installing signage and preparing sites.<\/p>\n

\"Cassie
Cassie Panther, Jade Downing and Makenna Hall hike along the shoreline of Navajo Lake in the Lizard Head Wilderness. (Matthew Tangeman\/Special to The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
Why the change<\/div>\n

By concentrating camping away from streams and wetlands, Mustoe said, vegetation can act as a natural filter, protecting water quality.<\/p>\n

Forest officials have monitored use in the basin since the 1990s. At the time, recommendations included requiring camping permits or designated sites. Campfires were prohibited, and forest patrollers roamed the area making contacts with campers and removing fire rings. Restoration work began in the early 2000s.<\/p>\n

In 2021, the Forest Service limited camping to sites already showing recurring use, such as bare ground and areas where vegetation was already lost. But growing impacts, particularly near water sources, persisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019ve seen is the number of sites up there has increased and so has a level of impact. There\u2019s more bare dirt, more loss of soil, which allows dirt and erosion to get into the river,\u201d Mustoe said.<\/p>\n

He emphasized the basin\u2019s location at the headwaters of the West Fork of the Dolores River and the need to protect overall wetland health, including water quality, fish habitat and the stabilization of soil and vegetation.<\/p>\n

How it will work on the ground<\/div>\n

Existing unofficial campsites will be closed and allowed to naturally recover over time. More heavily used sites will be covered with natural materials to discourage use.<\/p>\n

While exact numbers may vary, Mustoe estimated typical use could average a few dozen overnight visitors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you apply an average of three per site for the nine sites that would get you what I would estimate would be a reasonable capacity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The design also aims to preserve the area\u2019s reputation for solitude by spacing sites apart and using natural screening.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Lizard Head Wilderness spans the San Juan Mountains and is home to Navajo Lake, a popular alpine destination surrounded by high peaks. (Matthew Tangeman\/Special to The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
Public input and process<\/div>\n

The proposal followed a 30-day public comment period. The ranger district partnered with the Dolores Watersheds Collaborative, and the project included outreach to local governments and user groups.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d say the overwhelmingly response that we heard was positive and supportive of that change,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Feedback included ensuring continued access for equestrian users and considering how many sites to allow and where to place them.<\/p>\n

The Forest Service plans to monitor how the system works over the next several years before considering additional restrictions, such as permits. The focus now is on education and helping visitors adjust.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis would be the first designated dispersed camping area for the Dolores Ranger District,\u201d Mustoe said.<\/p>\n

awatson@the-journal.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

management plan intends to balance environmental impacts with basin\u2019s solitude<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53849,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5737,5736,5735,5741],"tags":[28,29],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-53848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-headlines","category-local-news","category-news","category-newsletter","tag-headlines","tag-newsletter"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53848"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79794,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53848\/revisions\/79794"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53848"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=53848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}