Uncompahgre National Forest
Wilderness Areas

The Uncompahgre Wilderness spans more than 99,000 acres of the Uncompahgre National Forest and 3,400 additional acres on lands administered by the BLM. Elevations vary from 8,400 to 14,000+ feet. There's 150 miles of foot and horse trails in this Wilderness. Trailheads are located in the West, Middle, and East Forks of the Big Cimarron River. The Big Blue Trail, beginning south of the Big Blue Campground, is also a well-traveled route into the Wilderness. Additional trails enter the wilderness from near the towns of Ouray and Lake City.

While the lower parts of the Uncompahgre Wilderness may be snow free early in June, normal snow-free conditions run from mid-July to early September, but conditions can vary considerably from year to year. Points of interest include: Uncompahgre Peak (14,309 ft); Wetterhorn Peak (14,015 ft); Matterhorn Peak, Coxcomb Peak, Silver Peak, Slide Lake, and Big Blue Creek.

Trails to the 14,000-foot peaks in this wilderness and most other wildernesses are heavily used. You will most likely not find solitude on them, especially on summer weekends. High use of these trails creates a heavy impact on fragile landscapes. Please stay on established trails. If you are looking for a more true wilderness experience, you would more likely find it in less popular areas of the wilderness.

Mt. Sneffels Wilderness is more than 16,500 acres on the Uncompahgre National Forest near the communities of Telluride and Ouray. Only 14 miles of constructed trail enter this rugged area. Elevations range from 9,600 to 14,150 feet at the top of Mount Sneffels.

Trails within the Area include the Blue Lakes, Alder, Dallas Whipple Mountain and Deep Creek Trails. The Sneffels Highline Trail starts near Telluride and also extends into the wilderness. Blue Lakes and Mount Sneffels receive high visitor use and should be avoided on weekends and holidays. Camp sites in the Blue Lakes area are limited in number and campfires are prohibited there.

The Lizard Head Wilderness straddles the spectacular San Miguel Mountains, about 10 miles southwest of Telluride and 40 miles northeast of Cortez on the Uncompahgre and San Juan National Forests. Wilson Peak (14,017 ft), Mt Wilson (14,246 ft), and El Diente (14,159 ft) are located within the wilderness. The wilderness is evenly split between the two national forests and is about 41,193 acres in size.

Most of the steep and scenic Bilk Creek Trail is located in this Wilderness. The Bilk Creek Trail starts at the junction of Wilson Sunshine Road #623 and Wilson Mesa Trail. Along the way, the Bilk Creek Trail passes several waterfalls and the ruins of the Morning Star mine, eventually connecting with the Lizard Head Trail. From the north, the Wilderness can be entered on the Silver Pick and Lone Cone Trails. From the south, Groundhog Stock Driveway and Navajo Lake Trail enter the Wilderness. The area within Navajo Basin is closed to campfires.