The only free campgrounds I could find near Crested Butte were in Paonia or Redmond on 133. But CB is right next to a National Forest. You can camp anywhere in a National Forest for free (as long as it isn't a paying campground, of course). Just pull off the road onto a dirt road and find a good spot. I've done it a lot out here in California in a National Forest and it's never been a problem. The only problem I could foresee is you might need a fire permit. You have to check that out with the local NF to be sure.
By the way, we have a presence on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CampersIndex if you have an account there. We are also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/CampersIndexcom/101854559124?ref=mf
Hi Matthew!
Welcome to CampersIndex!
You might want to check out our Colorado group at http://www.campersindex.com/group/colorado and other groups you might be interested in. We have about 70 groups all together, so I’m sure you will find groups that interest you.
Please let me know if there are any questions I can answer for you. :)
Happy Camping!
-- Sandra
The Tech Blanket from Thermarest is a great piece of gear when it comes to hammock camping. The system was meant for the ground but it works great in a hammo...