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National Wilderness Areas in Colorado

Name, Location
Acreage Comments
Buffalo Peaks Wilderness
San Isabel National Forest

Peaceful, quiet, serene, big beaver ponds, few people, easy hiking
Cache la Poudre Wilderness
Roosevelt National Forest
9,400 Steep and very rugged terrain, Mt. McConnell National Recreation Trail.
Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
Gunnison/White River/San Isabel NFs
160,000 The Sawatch Mountains with 8 peaks over 14,000 feet.
Comanche Peak Wilderness
Roosevelt National Forest
67,000 Named for 12,702 foot peak on edge of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Eagles Nest Wilderness
Arapaho/White River NFs
134,000 The Gore Range, with over 100 miles of trails constructed primarily for the advanced hiker.
Flat Tops Wilderness
Routt/White River NFs
235,000 Sheer volcanic cliffs, high plateau, wild canyons.
Greenhorn Mtn. Wilderness
San Isabel National Forest
23,000
The whole southern face of the Wet Mountains up to and including all of Greenhorn Peak.
Holy Cross Wilderness
San Isabel/White River NFs
116,000 The area around the Mt. of the Holy Cross, named for a cross-shaped area on the eastern face that is always full of snow.
Hunter-Frying Pan Wilderness
White River National Forest
74,000 Frying Pan River, Mt. Oklahoma
Indian Peaks Wilderness
Arapaho/Roosevelt NFs
73,000 Elevation range 8,400-13,000 feet, Continental Divide, remnant glaciers and cirque basins.
La Garita Wilderness
Gunnison/Rio Grande NFs
100,000 Continental Divide, San Luis Peak (14,014 feet)
Lizard Head Wilderness
San Juan/Uncompahgre NFs
41,000 The Wilson group of 14ers, 13,113 ft. Lizard Head Peak, several permanent snowfields.
Lost Creek Wilderness
Pike National Forest
106,000 Over 100 miles of trails through bold outcrops of Pikes Peak granite eroded into an endless variety of forms.
Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
Gunnison/White River NFs
174,000 Extensive trail system, several 14ers and high 13ers.
Mt. Evans Wilderness
Arapaho National Forest
70,000 Alpine tundra, glacial valleys, Mt. Evans Highway, Mt. Evans (14,265 ft.) and several high 13ers.
Mt. Massive Wilderness
San Isabel National Forest
28,000 Continental Divide, numerous lakes, Mt. Massive (5 summits over 14,000 ft.)
Mt. Sneffels Wilderness
Uncompahgre National Forest
16,000 Mt. Sneffels (14,150 ft.) and several high 13ers, Blue Lakes.
Mt. Zirkel Wilderness
Routt National Forest
140,000 Isolated mountain lakes, Continental Divide, Mt. Zirkel (12,180 ft.)
Neota Wilderness
Roosevelt National Forest
9,900 Spruce Forest, alpine tundra, large flattop glacial ridges.
Never Summer Wilderness
Arapaho/Routt NFs
7,800 Elevation range: 8,500 to 12,500 ft.
Raggeds Wilderness
Gunnison/White River NFs
59,000 Over 90 miles of constructed trails, Anthracite Pass
Rawah Wilderness
Roosevelt National Forest
74,000 Extensive trail network, barren rock formations.
Sangre de Cristo Wilderness
San Isabel/Rio Grande NFs

Includes most of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains from Mt. Blanca to Poncha Pass.
South San Juan Wilderness
Rio Grande/San Juan NFs
127,000 Wolf Creek Pass, Continental Divide, quaking aspen and Engelmann spruce.
Spanish Peaks Wilderness
San Isabel National Forest
18,000 Surrounds the East and West Spanish Peaks
Uncompahgre Wilderness
Uncompahgre National Forest
98,000 Uncompahgre Peak (14,309 ft.), Wetterhorn Peak (14,017 ft.)
Weminuche Wilderness
Rio Grande/San Juan NFs
460,000 Needle Mountains, over 400 miles of trails, Continental Divide, numerous semipermanent snowpacks.
West Elk Wilderness
Gunnison National Forest
176,000 Beckwith Pass, West Elk Peak
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