The Gunnison County Sheriff's Office said it was contacted by the hiker July 9 after they had come across a decomposed body near the Gold Creek Campground in central Colorado, south of Aspen.
The next day, investigators located the remote campsite and discovered two additional "heavily decomposed" bodies.
"It appeared the individuals have been deceased for a substantial period of time," the sheriff's office said in a statement posted on Facebook.
An autopsy will be performed on the bodies to determine a cause of death. The identities of the individuals have not been released.
The Gold Creek Campground can get busy in the summer months. People can access hiking trails and go horseback riding, four-wheel driving and fishing.
"Several alpine lakes lie near the campground and allow anglers to fish in the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain highlands," the U.S. Forest Service notes.
The sheriff's office is not discouraging people from visiting the campground in light of its findings, which it describes as an "unfortunate event."
"There are no known risks to residents or outdoor enthusiasts recreating in the area," the sheriff's office said.
