Eagles Nest Wilderness
Heavy snow accumulates on the heights of Eagles Nest Wilderness in the Gore Range, providing a major contribution to the waters of the Colorado River. Melting snow in spring plunges from the heights to create marshy meadows and sloughs, as well as turbulent thundering creeks when temperatures soar abruptly. This is an area more vertical than horizontal, with sheer rock faces, keen-edged ridges, deep valleys, jagged peaks, and dense forests lower down, and foot travel can be strenuous. Approximately 180 miles of trail provide access to Eagles Nest, most of them dead-ending at a radiant gem of an alpine lake.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 135,104 acres |
| Designated | 1976, by Congress |
| Center point | 39.70° N, 106.27° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 26) |
Boundary map
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.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 23 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
11 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 7 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 6 day hikings, 1 trailhead. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 8 mi
- 2 miUpper Piney TH #1885 ↗Day hiking
- 6 miLower/Upper Slate Lakes TH #65 ↗Day hiking
- 6 miGore Lake #2015.1A ↗Day hiking
- 8 miUpper Cataract Lake TH #63 ↗Day hiking
- 10 miMeadow Creek TH #1891 ↗Day hiking
- 12 miSoda Lakes #1889 ↗Day hiking
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
52 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 210 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Gore Range Trail ↗ | 46.7 | |
| Big Park ↗ | 14.8 | |
| Lower Piney Trail ↗ | 9.5 | |
| Meadow Creek ↗ | 9.4 | |
| Soda Lakes Trail ↗ | 8.7 | |
| Lost Lake ↗ | 8.3 | |
| Gore Creek ↗ | 7.4 | |
| East Meadow Creek ↗ | 7 | |
| Elliott'S Ridge ↗ | 7 | |
| Upper Cataract - Mirror Lake ↗ | 6.5 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- WildfireWillow
33 mi from the center point · 7,359 acres · 92% contained
- PrescribedHarris Park Broadcast Rx
43 mi from the center point · 390 acres
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
- 0.8 miFrisco Schoolhouse ↗Frisco, CO
- 1 miWildhack's Grocery Store-Post Office ↗Frisco, CO
- 1.6 miSlate Creek Bridge ↗Slate Creek, CO
- 5 miThe Bunk House Lodge ↗Breckenridge, CO
- 8.8 miRed Cliff Bridge ↗Red Cliff, CO
- 9.8 miState Bridge ↗State Bridge, CO
- 10.1 miTigiwon Community House ↗Minturn, CO
- 11.4 miYust, E. C., Homestead ↗Kremmling, CO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Eagles Nest Wilderness and Colorado
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Eagles Nest Wilderness?
135,104 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Eagles Nest Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Eagles Nest Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Eagles Nest Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1976.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Eagles Nest Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Eagles Nest Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 39.699° N, 106.272° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Eagles Nest Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Willow at 33 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Eagles Nest Wilderness?
The National Register has 11 listings within 15 miles, including Frisco Schoolhouse and Wildhack's Grocery Store-Post Office.
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.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- 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.