wildernet

Taylor River Ranger District

Quick Facts

Lake Irwin Campground

Capacity:	320 People
Elevation:	10,200 Feet (3179.6 Meters)
Length of Stay:	14 Days
Number of Sites:	32
Reservation Contact:	National Reservation System: 877-444-6777
Reservation Status:	Accepted

		Satellite and Topo Map

General Description

Lake Irwin Campground is bordered on the eastern side by Lake Irwin and the western side by the Ruby Mountain Range. This rugged terrain provides challenging mountain biking and hiking. The lake is usually so full of fish you can see them rise to the calm surface. The area is very picturesque and filled with wildflowers in July and August.

Directions from Crested Butte: From Highway 135 turn left on to Whiterock Avenue. Drive west leaving Crested Butte. This turns into Kebler Pass Road. Follow Kebler Pass 5 miles from Crested Butte to Forest Road 826. Follow 826 to the right as it splits from Kebler Pass Road. This will take you toward Lake Irwin and the campground.

Seasonal Information:
Normal Services Available: Late June through September .

Fee Information

Type	Price	Remarks
Camping, Single Unit	Call for Current Fee	Facilities include parking spu

		Current Conditions & Trip Reports
		Add your own trip Report! Newly re-released feature. One of the most popular features on Wildernet, trip reports allow you to share your experiences with others. This is an invaluable resource for determining what to expect on your outdoor adventure, so please participate! To prevent spamming, you must be a registered user of Wildernet in order to submit a trip report Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: Filed By: Mike McGee (Amarillo, TX) Number of People Encountered: 50+ ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: The lake was wondeful and fishing really great from the bank or float tubes. You must take the hike beyond the Resort to Green lake to see the waterfall and wild flowers. Easy hike for the greatest picutes ever!!!! Five bears in and out of camping area! Be safe. Conditions: The two mile section of road leading up to Lake Irwin can get rough, but was just recently graded. Water Availability: Hand Pump!!! lotta work. Fill your water cans or camper up in town by the tennis courts on the west side. If you must you pumps, use the pump at the top of the hill by site 13.. Takes half the time to prime. Filed By: Lee Number of People Encountered: 50+ ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: One of the most beautiful places I have seen! Gets pretty full on the weekend, we happened to luck out and got a campsite-I would recommend reservations. Nice hike around the lake, great for little kids, bring the sunscreen, it's sunny! Definately worth the drive to get up to it! Filed By: Jim Payne (Lewisville, TX) Number of People Encountered: 25-50 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: I've been going to Irwin off and on for over 25 years. It's a wonderful campground. Since the Irwin Lodge has reopened (early 1990's) it's an excellent short hike from the campground to have a sit down lunch. Great food and incredible views. Hike can be handled by children 6 years and older. For a more challenging hike I recommend hiking to the top of Ruby Peak by way of the mining road that snakes around the base of the mountain. A little 'four wheeling' on hands and knees for about 150 yards or so until you get to a relatively trouble free hike to the top which is another 2,500 yards or so. Be sure to look for a cairn of rocks denoting the 'Brown Bear Moutaineering Club' registry. This will take most of the day. Quite a bit of exposure through most of this hike so don't attempt the Ruby Peak hike if you know weather is going to be a factor or you're not prepared. Not for younger kids. Be aware that the Irwin area is surrounded by quite a bit of private property so please be respectful.

Recreation Opportunities

Activity		Remarks	On Site
	Camping	Lake Irwin Campground	Yes
	Automobile Travel	Kebler Pass - West Elk Loop Scenic Byway	No
	Cold Water Fishing	Lake Irwin	Yes
	Hiking & Walking	Lake Irwin Trail, Scarps Ridge Trail	Yes
	Mountain Biking	Dike Trail	Yes
	Canoeing	Lake Irwin	Yes
	Scenic Driving	Kebler Pass - West Elk Loop Scenic Byway	No