U.S. Forest Service · White River National Forest · CO

Horse Thief

Not publishedStatus
ReservableAccess
7Sites
55 ftMax rig

The place

The Horse Thief Campground, located at Trappers Lake in the White River National Forest, offers a natural setting for stock users adjacent to the Flat Tops Wilderness. The campsites are set aside for stock users only, with corrals, long spurs for large trailers, and an RV Dump just up the road. The Flat Tops Wilderness area provides miles of riding within this historic wilderness area. Trappers Lake is in the wilderness, so motorized, mechanized, and any kind of wheeled cart is prohibited; this goes for bikes and game carts on the trails as well. Recreation Trappers Lake is known as the Cradle of Wilderness. Keep reading

At approximately 302 surface acres, the lake contains a strain of native cutthroat trout and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife operates a spawn collection station at the Cabin Creek inlet during May and June. Trappers Lake lies completely within the Flat Tops Wilderness; motorized boats and wheeled carts for boat transport are prohibited. Facilities Horse Thief Campground (Elevation 9,700ft) has 7 single first-come first-serve sites with corrals . There are long spurs to accommodate large trailers (max length 60ft). The campground is equipped with picnic tables, fire grates, vault toilets, trash disposal, bear boxes, and potable water. Limited shade is available so shade shelters are recommended. An RV dump station within the TL Campground complex. Electrical hook-ups are not available. Natural Features The Horse Thief Campground at Trappers Lake is located adjacent to the Flat Tops Wilderness, offering a natural environment with many pothole lakes, surrounding glacier carved mountains, and access to trails and wilderness areas. Wildlife frequent the area and moose, elk, deer, marmots, pine marten, and an abundance of birds may be seen. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (801) 226-3564. Nearby Attractions Fishing Access: Trappers Lake, Little Trappers Lake, Wall Lake, Fraser Creek, Lake of the Woods Trail Access: Little Trappers Trail #1814, Carhart Trail #1815, Trappers Lake Trail #1816, Wall Lake Trail #1818, Island Lakes Trail #1842, Chinese Wall Trail #1803, Deer Lake Trail #2021, South Derby Trail #1857, Himes Peak Trail #1877 Charges & Cancellations Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.

The sites · 7

LoopSiteTypeMax rigElectricADA
Horse Thief1equestrian nonelectric55 ft
Horse Thief2equestrian nonelectric55 ft
Horse Thief3equestrian nonelectric55 ft
Horse Thief4equestrian nonelectric55 ft
Horse Thief5equestrian nonelectric55 ft
Horse Thief6equestrian nonelectric55 ft
Horse Thief7equestrian nonelectric55 ft

Booking

183 daysBooking window before arrival

Recreation.gov default: most campsites can be booked six months prior to arrival date. Most campgrounds go on sale at 7am PT / 8am MT / 10am ET, but not always; check the facility Seasons and Fees tab. Some locations also offer shorter supplemental booking windows.

Book on recreation.gov

Who runs it

Operated by American Land & Leisure, a private concessionaire, under permit from the agency.

SRC · Operator link · 2026-08-24

Your representative

This campground sits in CO-03. This member’s public-lands record →

SRC · U.S. Census TIGER · MTJP Scorecard