There are two campgrounds- Peninsula and Northwest Passage, on this 1,000-acre finger of land jutting into Payette Lake, near McCall. The latter campground is far smaller, with only 22 sites at just $9 a night (not including tax). Try hiking, biking, and checking out the plentiful wildlife- from osprey and bald eagers to moose, bear, and muskrats. There’s central water and vault toilets; camping is first-come, first-served through October, weather permitting.

Few out-of-state vistiors know about this remote pass connecting Crested Butte to the Western Slope (it bisects McClure pass, and you can either head to Telluride, or east(ish) toward Aspen. Wild and lonely, Kebler Pass is a place of dense aspen grove and evergreen forest, meadows, alpine lakes, and little-trafficked hiking and fishing spots. Lost Lake Campground is just 18 miles from Crested Butte (and roughly 32 from Paonia), but be prepared for a slow drive between the scenery, wildlife, winding road, and often-wet monsoonal summer conditions. Reservations not taken; there are vault toilets, treated water, and 18 sites, some of them equestrian-friendly. Despite the isolated location, be aware that the campground is often full in season (June-October).