Lincoln Creek Road is a rough 4WD route with dispersed campsites off Highway 82

Lincoln Creek Road turns off State Highway 82 a few miles up toward Independence Pass, southeast of Aspen. It leads to a string of dispersed campsites and to Grizzly Reservoir, set among high peaks in the White River National Forest.

This is not a smooth gravel drive. The Forest Service says high clearance is required and four-wheel drive is recommended to reach all the campsites, and the road gets rougher the farther you go. The dispersed sites are first-come, first-served with a short stay limit, and there are no toilets and no drinking water, so you have to bring everything you need and pack out what you bring.

Two cautions are worth knowing. Old mining left heavy metals in Lincoln Creek, so the water is not a safe source even after filtering; carry your own. And conditions change: Grizzly Reservoir has been drained at times for dam repair, which alters the scene and the fishing.

If you camp here, follow dispersed-camping rules: use a site that has already been used, stay back from water, and leave no trace. For current road conditions, stay limits, and water-quality alerts, check the White River National Forest page for Lincoln Creek dispersed camping before you go.