Ruby Mountain Campground - Buena Vista, CO - Campgrounds on Waymarking.com

The Ruby Mountain Campground is part of the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) district. This area of Colorado is one of the prime river-rafting areas in the country. Unlike most other Colorado State Parks, AHRA does not have one set of driving directions to get to the park. This is because the AHRA “park” is actually a linear recreation area that follows the Arkansas River for 150 miles from the high mountains near Leadville, Colorado, to Lake Pueblo, on the edge of Colorado’s plains and there are a number of highways and roads entering the valley. Along the way, the AHRA has six basic campgrounds, numerous picnic areas, fishing and boating access points and trail access.

Ruby Mountain Campground is so named for nearby Ruby Mountain, where 'allegedly' small rubies may be found. The campground is rather basic, with only sealed vault toilets, day use metal picnic tables, concrete slab parking areas and sand filled tent areas. There are 22 campsites (each consists of tent pad, fire grill and table). There is NO TRASH PICKUP and you must pack out your trash. Neither is there potable water or electricity. There is no free use--fees are: Vehicle Pass (Self Serve) $6 per vehicle per day for all vehicles entering an AHRA fee site and includes all passengers in the vehicle. Good at all AHRA sites until noon the following day. Daily Individual Pass (Walk-In, Self Serve) $3 per person per day, age 16 and over for visitors entering a site by means other than a motor vehicle (i.e., bicycle, boat, hiking, etc.). Basic Campsite $14 per campsite per night, in addition to a vehicle pass.

This campground also includes a boat load-in/load-out area for river rafters. The scenery is breath-taking with snow capped peaks often visible in the summer. The area is generally sand, hard-pack dirt, sage and shrubs with trees only near the rivers edge. Camping spaces may be reserved at this campground

The Ruby Mountain Campground is 6 miles south of Buena Vista and is accessed from U.S. Highway 285 between mile markers 144 and 145. The turn off is south of the junction at Johnsons Village of U.S. Highway 24 and U.S. Highway 285. Turn to the East on to Chaffee County Road 301. Cross the river on County Road 301, go to the end of the pavement and turn right onto County Road 300. Drive 2.4 miles to the Ruby Mountain Campground. Caution should be used at the Fish Hatchery, as the road is a very narrow single lane with a 15 mph speed limit.