Penitente Canyon
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ABOUT THE PLACE
Penitente Canyon, Colorado
We spent four nights here at the end of August 2026, on our late-summer 2026 filming trip through southern Colorado and Utah, the last big trip before Erin's surgery. We were in site 12 and paid under $10 a night, with the half-price Access Pass discount. Our full field report is still being written, so here is what to know about the place itself.
The short version
Penitente Canyon is a Bureau of Land Management Special Recreation Management Area in Colorado's San Luis Valley, near La Garita and northwest of Del Norte, managed by the BLM San Luis Valley Field Office. The campground sits at about 7,930 feet among volcanic rock walls.
A little history
- The rock comes from as many as 18 eruptions in the San Juan volcanic field, 20 to 30 million years ago. The largest, about 27.8 million years ago, formed the La Garita Caldera.
- Ancestors of the Utes, Jicarilla Apaches and Puebloans camped and hunted here. The valley's first settlers were Hispanic farmers and sheepherders from northern New Mexico.
- The canyon is named for Los Hermanos Penitentes, a lay Catholic brotherhood in the valley. A painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe sits high on one wall, and the area holds the largest concentration of pictographs in the San Luis Valley.
What it is known for
- Technical rock climbing, with nearly 300 routes. South-facing routes can be climbed year-round.
- Singletrack trails for mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding.
- Trout fishing in La Garita Creek, plus stargazing and wildlife viewing.
Camping
- 15 individual sites and two group tent sites.
- Five vault toilets. Drinking water runs May to October, but bring your own in case the well is out.
- Fires only in the metal fire rings, and a 14-day stay limit.
Good to know
- There is a nightly camping fee.
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common, and cell service is spotty.
- The campground has closed in some past Octobers for the 12 Hours of Penitence race.
Facts checked October 2026. Things change, so check the official site before you go.
IN THE JOURNAL
Where we wrote about it
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Field report coming soon.
we stayed here, we're still writing it up
