Colorado Wilderness Areas provide some of the best places to recreate in the Centennial State. If you’re keen for a quality outdoor adventure, then the Colorado wilderness areas need to be at the top of your list.
The state of Colorado is roughly 66,678,400 acres. Of that acreage, 3,735,240 acres are federally protected as wilderness. In this post, we highlight 44 Colorado Wilderness Areas and provide a quick map so that you can locate these rugged, remote, and wild places.
The following information about Colorado Wilderness Areas is gathered from the Wilderness.net database.
Here is a map of the Colorado Wilderness Areas:
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*** For a better map of wilderness areas in the United States, visit UMontana.Maps.ArcGis.com.
Below is a list of the Colorado Wilderness Areas:
Black Canyon Of The Gunnison Wilderness
- Total Acres: 15,599 acres
- Year Designated: 1976
- Agency: National Park Service
Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness
- Total Acres: 75,479 acres
- Year Designated: 2000
- Agency: Bureau Of Land Management
- *** The Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness is on the Colorado/Utah border. Of the 75,479 total acres, 70,380 acres are located in Colorado.
Buffalo Peaks Wilderness
- Total Acres: 41,282 acres
- Year Designated: 1993
- Agency: US Forest Service
Byers Peak Wilderness
- Total Acres: 8,800 acres
- Year Designated: 1993
- Agency: US Forest Service
Cache La Poudre Wilderness
- Total Acres: 9,484 acres
- Year Designated: 1980
- Agency: US Forest Service
Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
- Total Acres: 165,864 acres
- Year Designated: 1980
- Agency: US Forest Service
Comanche Peak Wilderness
- Total Acres: 68,033 acres
- Year Designated: 1980
- Agency: US Forest Service
Dominquez Canyon Wilderness
- Total Acres: 66,280 acres
- Year Designated: 2009
- Agency: Bureau Of Land Mangement
Eagles Nest Wilderness
- Total Acres: 135,114 acres
- Year Designated: 1976
- Agency: US Forest Service
Flat Tops Wilderness
- Total Acres: 230,830 acres
- Year Designated: 1975
- Agency: US Forest Service
Fossil Ridge Wilderness
- Total Acres: 32,062 acres
- Year Designated: 1993
- Agency: US Forest Service
Great Sand Dunes Wilderness
- Total Acres: 32,643 acres
- Year Designated: 1976
- Agency: National Park Service
Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness
- Total Acres: 23,116 acres
- Year Designated: 1993
- Agency: US Forest Servie
Gunnison Gorge Wilderness
- Total Acres: 17,784acres
- Year Designated: 1999
- Agency: Bureau Of Land Management
Hermosa Creek Wilderness
- Total Acres: 37,203 acres
- Year Designated: 2014
- Agency: US Forest Service
Holy Cross Wilderness
- Total Acres: 122,446 acres
- Year Designated: 1980
- Agency: US Forest Service
Hunter – Fryingpan Wilderness
- Total Acres: 82,513 acres
- Year Designated: 1978
- Agency: US Forest Service
Indian Peaks Wilderness
- Total Acres: 77,977 acres
- Year Designated: 1978
- Agency: US Forest Service & National Park Service
James Peak Wilderness
- Total Acres: 17,084 acres
- Year Designated: 2002
- Agency: US Forest Service
La Garita Wilderness
- Total Acres: 126,480 acres
- Year Designated: 1964
- Agency: US Forest Service
Lizard Head Wilderness
- Total Acres: 41,525 acres
- Year Designated: 1980
- Agency: US Forest Service
Lost Creek Wilderness
- Total Acres: 114,875 acres
- Year Designated: 1980
- Agency: US Forest Service
Maroon Bells – Snowmass Wilderness
- Total Acres: 181,976 acres
- Year Designated: 1964
- Agency: US Forest Service
Mesa Verde Wilderness
- Total Acres: 8,500 acres
- Year Designated: 1976
- Agency: National Park Service
Mount Evans Wilderness
- Total Acres: 73,450 acres
- Year Designated: 1980
- Agency: US Forest Service
Mount Massive Wilderness
- Total Acres: 29,027 acres
- Year Designated: 1980
- Agency: US Forest Service and Fish & Wildlife Service
Mount Sneffels Wilderness
- Total Acres: 16,485 acres
- Year Designated: 1980
- Agency: US Forest Service
Mount Zirkel Wilderness
- Total Acres: 160,306 acres
- Year Designated: 1964
- Agency: US Forest Service
Neota Wilderness
- Total Acres: 9,927 acres
- Year Designated: 1980
- Agency: US Forest Service
Never Summer Wilderness
- Total Acres: 20,840 acres
- Year Designated: 1980
- Agency: US Forest Service
Platte River Wilderness
- Total Acres: 23,301 acres
- Year Designated: 1984
- Agency: US Forest Service
- *** The Platte River Wilderness is located on the Colorado/Wyoming border. Of the 23,301 total acres, only 743 acres are located in Colorado.
Powderhorn Wilderness
- Total Acres: 62,742 acres
- Year Designated: 1993
- Agency: Bureau of Land Management & US Forest Service
Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness
- Total Acres: 12,606 acres
- Year Designated: 1993
- Agency: US Forest Service
Raggeds Wilderness
- Total Acres: 64,304 acres
- Year Designated: 1980
- Agency: US Forest Service
Rawah Wilderness
- Total Acres: 74,595 acres
- Year Designated: 1964
- Agency: US Forest Service
Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness
- Total Acres: 249,126 acres
- Year Designated: 2009
- Agency: National Park Service
Sangre de Cristo Wilderness
- Total Acres: 219,900 acres
- Year Designated: 1993
- Agency: US Forest Service & National Park Service
Sarvis Creek Wilderness
- Total Acres: 44,463 acres
- Year Designated: 1993
- Agency: US Forest Service
South San Juan Wilderness
- Total Acres: 160,999 acres
- Year Designated: 1980
- Agency: US Forest Service
Spanish Peaks Wilderness
- Total Acres: 19,237 acres
- Year Designated: 2000
- Agency: US Forest Service
Uncompahgre Wilderness
- Total Acres: 102,214 acres
- Year Designated: 1980
- Agency: US Forest Service & Bureau Of Land Management
Vasquez Peak Wilderness
- Total Acres: 13,000 acres
- Year Designated: 1993
- Agency: US Forest Service
Weminuche Wilderness
- Total Acres: 496,995 acres
- Year Designated: 1975
- Agency: US Forest Service
West Elk Wilderness
- Total Acres: 176,431 acres
- Year Designated: 1964
- Agency: US Forest Service
For more information about the numerous wilderness areas scattered across the United States, visit Wilderness.net.
See Also:
Explore More Wilderness Areas:
- Montana Wilderness Areas – List & Map
- Idaho Wilderness Areas – List & Map
- Washington Wilderness Areas – List & Map
- Utah Wilderness Areas – List & Map
