About this campground
Dotsero Crater is a 700-meter wide by 400-meter deep maar volcano located in Dotsero, Colorado near the junction of the Colorado River and the Eagle River. It is classified as a scoria cone with evaporitic rock, basaltic tephra, and oxidized sandstone. Erupting approximately 4200 years ago, it is the youngest volcano in Colorado.Crater caused by Dotsero eruption. the site is a point of interest for hikers. This Holocene volcano erupted in the year 2220 BCE, give or take 300 years. When Dotsero blew, it created small scoria cones that were constructed along a NNE-SSW line on either side of the maar. The eruption date is based upon radiocarbon dating of wood found underneath some of the scoria. It is one of the youngest eruptions in the continental U.S. and it produced an explosion crater, a lahar, and a 3-kilometer (1.9 mi) long lava flow. Interstate 70 cuts across the lava flow. The main industry at Dotsero for years consisted of making cinderblocks from the volcano
Getting there
The site is located near Dotsero, Colorado. From Interstate Highway 70, take the Dotsero exit. Go east along the highway access road to road 8460 and drive north on this road to the recreation site.
Activities
- HIKING
Nearby federal campgrounds
Explore more Colorado camping
Dotsero Crater Rec Site doesn't take campsite reservations — but plenty of nearby Colorado campgrounds do, and we'll alert you the moment a sold-out site opens up.
Browse Colorado camping →Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.