USFS · Wilderness area · Colorado

Collegiate Peaks Wilderness

With eight "fourteeners" (peaks exceeding 14,000 feet in elevation), Collegiate Peaks Wilderness probably possesses the highest average elevation of any Wilderness in the Lower 48. You can climb Mounts...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Wilderness165,874 acresUSFSCODesignated 198038 campgrounds within 10 mi11 Forest Service sites
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
1fire
active
Willow · 18 mi from the center · 7,389 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-09-17
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateColorado
Size165,874 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1980, by Congress
Center point38.9738, -106.4937
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 21)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 38 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 0 mi
Portal Campground
First-come5 sites
FS · 0.1 mi
Lincoln Creek Dispersed Campground
First-comeCO
FS · 0.1 mi
Lost Man Campground
First-come10 sites
FS · 0.1 mi
Collegiate Peaks
Reservable56 sites
FS · 0.1 mi
Lincoln Gulch Campground
First-come7 sites
FS · 0.1 mi
Weller Campground
First-come11 sites
FS · 0.2 mi
Difficult Campground
Reservable48 sites
FS · 0.3 mi
Crescent Mining Camp
Reservable1 site
Show 4 more

26 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 11

The Forest Service lists 11 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 6 mountain Climbings, 3 day hikings, 1 trailhead, 1 fishing. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 11

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Willow

    18 mi from the center point · 7,389 acres · 80% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 42 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Collegiate Peaks Wilderness?

165,874 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Collegiate Peaks Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Collegiate Peaks Wilderness in?

Colorado.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Collegiate Peaks Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1980.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Collegiate Peaks Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Portal Campground, 0 miles out. 38 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Collegiate Peaks Wilderness?

The Forest Service lists 11 recreation sites here, including 6 mountain climbings, 3 day hikings and 1 trailhead. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Collegiate Peaks Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 38.974, -106.494. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near Collegiate Peaks Wilderness right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Willow at 18 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Collegiate Peaks Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 21 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Collegiate Peaks Wilderness?

42 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Ashcroft, Colorado and Pine Hall.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.