Hecla Junction Campground — Hotel in Four Corners States

Great location for camping! Beautiful scenery, clean sites, close to town but far enough away to feel out there. My only complaint was with the camp host - an older lady who is obviously power hungry. She was walking around camp at 7am writing tickets to nearly everyone in the campsite. Despite paying the $25 to camp ($18 for camp fee and $7 for vehicle entry), she nearly wrote me a ticket because the directions were not clear and I left the entire payment in one 'payment' envelope instead of two separate envelopes for separate fees. Clearly, common sense should have prevailed because it was obvious we were paying both fees. She also talked down to us and made us feel like we were 'riff raff' that 'should have tried BLM' camping instead.

Other than that, I had a positive experience. 5 star...

We tent camped here late summer. It is sweltering during the day. Few trees and lots of gravel make for a hot 11:00-5:00 pm. But the evenings, calm nights and breathtaking view as the sun comes up in the morning are well worth the stay. Cool down in the river while mining gold, but be mindful of the polite rafters. The even star display on clear nights was spectacular!

Warning! Do not show up here without cash payment. Bring your own water and prepare to haul out your trash. Also, one of the site staff attending during our visit was very curt! Not sure why one was so disagreeable. She respectfully earned the fitting title of “The Hecla Hag”!

I would give this 4.5...

Great, well laid out campsite tucked a good 15 mins off the highway and by the Arkansas River. Well maintained dirt road access. Some steeps and curves but nothing scary, just take your time. The river side sites have trails down to the river (maybe50 feet below). Great views and very quiet at night. No water or electric so bring everything you need. RV spots are well maintained and pretty level. Each site has a tent site too along with picnic table.

We live about 1.5h away and this is a regular weekend bolt hole for us. With Salida and it's great restaurants and biking just down the road this campsite will remain a favorite...