Shelf Road Rock Climbing

To get to Shelf, travel to Canon City. From Boulder, it is fastest to go I-25 to Colorado Springs, then take the exit for Canon City (beware this is tough to spot - it is poorly marked, if you miss it, exit in the south part of town and travel west until you intersect CO Highway 115). Travel SW on CO 115 to US Hwy 50, then west about 10 miles to Canon City. In Canon City, take a right at the first light past the Wal-Mart (Dozier St), or take a right at the next light which is Reynolds. Travel north and the road will curve to the left and intersect Field (not Fields as Knapp says) Avenue.

Turn north on Field and travel on this weird two lane road for about five miles, when it joins up with Fremont County Road 9 via a 'Y' type intersection. From here, it is 9.4 miles to the entrance to Shelf Road, which is marked with a sign indicating as much.

There are two BLM-administered camping locations at Shelf Road. The lower area, Sand Gulch, has 29 individual campsites and 2 group camping sites. The upper area at The Bank has 33 individual campsites and 2 group camping sites.

*Individual campsites are $20/night and accommodate 8-10 people. The group campsites are $40/night and accommodate up to 20 people.

*All sites should be booked at Recreation.gov. Do not expect to find a site without a reservation.

NEW as of March 2021: there is new Recreation.gov information and Bank campground updates (Rec.gov was moved last March). We encourage all prospective Shelf campers to use Rec.gov to reserve their sites. We want to encourage everyone to not rely on expecting a site when they arrive and instead to plan accordingly and book a site! Our campgrounds have been at capacity nearly every nice weather weekend, and people shouldn't just expect to find an available site and instead should reserve one.

Thanks,
Sean Reynolds, Outdoor Recreation Planner, Royal Gorge Field Office, 719-269-8500.

Just before you arrive at Shelf Road, you'll pass Sand Gulch campground on your left, behind a red BLM gate. Close the gate as you pass through. This is quality, spacious camping and access to the Sand Gulch area, home to many moderates about a 15 minute walk from the campground. There is day use parking at the northwest end of the campground, and overflow parking at the north end, where the Freeform trail begins.

To access the Bank parking area and campground, continue down Shelf Road and it is on the left. The North End is reached by continuing straight down Shelf Road. Consult Knapp, Van Horn, and the R&I mini-guide for more details. We found some disagreement in route ratings, listings and general details between Knapp and Van Horn, but both books are well done and easy to follow.

Camping Restrictions

*Wood cutting is not permitted in this area. Please bring your own firewood.