The North Inlet Junction Backcountry Campsite is a two-site camping area near the junction of North Inlet Trail and Lake Nanita Trail in western Rocky Mountain National Park. The wooded sites, located at 9,600 feet, lie in a high glaciated valley below the Continental Divide. This is a perfect campsite if you’re hiking up to Lake Nanita and Lake Nokoni, two beautiful alpine tarns, nearby North Inlet Falls, or crossing the Divide to Bear Lake. Reach the campsite by hiking 7.5 miles up North Inlet Trail from the trailhead by Grand Lake or 9.2 miles from Bear Lake Trailhead. North Inlet Trail gains 1,060 feet and takes about seven hours to hike from car to camp. A privy is at the site. Get water from the creek but boil or treat before use. The campsite is snow-free by mid-June.
Pro Tips
North Inlet Trailhead is on the northeast edge of Grand Lake. From U.S. 34, head east on West Portal Road for about two miles to a left turn marked North Inlet Trailhead on gravel road #663. Follow the steep road to parking areas at its end. Head east on North Inlet Trail for 7.5 miles to the campsite on the south side of the trail.A backcountry permit is required for all overnight camping in Rocky Mountain National Park’s backcountry. Get permits at the Park Headquarters Backcountry Office next to Beaver Meadows Visitor Center west of Estes Park, at Kawuneeche Visitor Center north of Grand Lake, or at the park website.You agree to obey National Park regulations for backcountry camping when you obtain a Backcountry Use Permit. The permit must be with you at all times and a tent tag must be displayed on your pack while hiking and on your tent. You must follow your planned itinerary so campsites aren’t overused or crowded. You also receive a tag to place on the dashboard of your vehicle, allowing overnight parking at trailheads without being towed.Practice a Leave No Trace ethic when camping at the North Inlet Junction campsite. Pitch tents in designated areas near a silver arrowhead. Secure food and garbage. Black bears are here so stash food in a bear-resistant canister, which is required May to October at all campsites below timberline. Keep food, trash, and scented items in the container and store it 200 feet from the campsite. Don’t camp below dead trees; wind storms blow branches off them.Recommended season(s): Mid-June to September.
—Stewart M. Green
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