May Queen

Location

LEADVILLE RANGER DISTRICT
Open in Google Maps ↗

Policies

Check-in

2:00 PM

Check-out

12:00 PM

Max stay

14 nights

Pets

Allowed (per listing)

About

May Queen Campground sits at about 9,900 feet on the far western end of Turquoise Lake amid a stand of lodgepole pine, where a small creek runs through an open field before emptying into the lake. The campground has 13 sites in total: nine that accommodate both RVs and tents and four tent-only sites, with six of the sites held on a first-come, first-served basis on the wooded hillside above the creek. Each site includes a campfire ring and picnic table; the campground also provides vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection. Canoes and other hand-carried boats can be launched directly from the site, while trailered boats must use Matchless Boat Ramp on the lake's east side. Note the extra vehicle fee is $10.00. Reservations and cancellations follow Recreation.gov policies: cancellations up to two days before your arrival incur a $10 fee; cancelling the day before or on the arrival date results in a $10 service fee plus forfeiture of the first night's fee (one-night reservations forfeit the full amount); no-shows are charged a $20 service fee and lose the first night's rate. Refund requests must be submitted within seven days after the reservation ends; refunds to cards are credited to the original payment method, and cash/check refunds are mailed as Treasury checks. Also be aware that the use of unmanned aircraft systems (drones) is regulated on these lands and must comply with applicable Forest Service rules and federal law. The setting opens directly onto recreation: the 6.4-mile Turquoise Lake Trail runs along the shoreline from May Queen to the dam, offering moderate hiking with wildflowers, wildlife viewing and visible remnants of old mines; the Timberline Lake trailhead is about a half mile up the road and leads two miles to a high alpine lake and access to the Colorado Trail. On the water, sailing, boating and canoeing are common and anglers commonly target mackinaw and rainbow trout. From many sites you can see the Mount Massive and Holy Cross Wilderness areas Mount Massive rises to 14,421 feet and the campground's proximity to the Charles Boustead Memorial Tunnel (the 5.5-mile structure that delivers water into Turquoise Lake) underscores the area's engineered and natural history. For day trips, explore the ghost traces of the Colorado Midland Railroad in nearby gulches, visit historic Leadville, or drive portions of the Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway toward Independence Pass and Aspen. Beyond the immediate lakeshore activities, the broader Pike, San Isabel, Cimarron and Comanche lands offer a wide range of uses horseback riding and horse camping, climbing, OHV routes, and overnight stays in historic lookouts or cabins so plan routes and permits accordingly for activities outside the campground.