Vallecito Reservoir

About Vallecito Reservoir

Vallecito Dam and Reservoir was completed in 1941 and is the principal feature of the Pine River Project in southwest Colorado. Located on the Pine River in the San Juan National Forest, about 18 miles northeast of Durango, Colorado, the reservoir has a maximum surface area of 2,720 acres. An additional 961 acres of lands are available for recreation.Recreation management at Vallecito (excluding campgrounds) was transferred to the Pine River Irrigation District under contract with the Bureau of Reclamation. Campgrounds at the reservoir are administered by the U.S. Forest Service, San Juan National Forest. Both the District and the Forest Service can be reached at 970-884-2512.

How to Get There

Directions: Take County Road 240 north from Durango to the intersection of County Road 501, a distance of about 14 miles. Turn left and take County Road 501 north to Vallecito Reservoir, a distance of about 4 miles.

Plan Your Visit to Vallecito Reservoir

Heading to Vallecito Reservoir? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)