USFS · Colorado

Flat Tops Wilderness

Arthur Carhart's 1919 visit to Trappers Lake in the verdant embrace of the Flat Tops prompted him to be the first U.S. Forest Service official to initiate a plea for Wilderness preservation. No wonder he found the area so entrancing: behind Trappers Lake loom majestic volcanic cliffs, and beyond them a vast subalpine terrain reluctantly yields to alpine tundra (part of the White River Plateau with an average elevation of about 10,000 feet). Approximately 110 lakes and ponds, often unnamed, dot the country above and below numerous flat-topped cliffs. Roughly 100 miles of fishable streams are in the Flat Tops Wilderness. The valleys and relatively gentle land above the cliffs offers over 160 miles of trails.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Wilderness230,829 acresUSFSCODesignated 197517 campgrounds within 10 mi21 Forest Service sites78 trails
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Flat Tops Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateColorado
Size230,829 acres
Designated1975, by Congress
Center point39.95° N, 107.27° W
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24)

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.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Flat Tops Wilderness10°20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.37 inches of precipitation, 26.1 inches of snowFebruary: 1.29 inches of precipitation, 21.3 inches of snowMarch: 1.32 inches of precipitation, 16.8 inches of snowApril: 1.82 inches of precipitation, 15.5 inches of snowMay: 1.62 inches of precipitation, 4.7 inches of snowJune: 1.11 inches of precipitation, 0.5 inches of snowJuly: 1.62 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.59 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.48 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowOctober: 1.26 inches of precipitation, 6.9 inches of snowNovember: 1.19 inches of precipitation, 17.4 inches of snowDecember: 1.27 inches of precipitation, 21.4 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 19.4°F averageFebruary: 21.5°F averageMarch: 30.0°F averageApril: 38.1°F averageMay: 47.4°F averageJune: 56.7°F averageJuly: 63.0°F averageAugust: 61.3°F averageSeptember: 53.8°F averageOctober: 41.9°F averageNovember: 29.6°F averageDecember: 20.0°F average0 in10 in20 in30 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Yampa, 24 miles from the center point at 7,857 feet, station USC00059265 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 17 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 131 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 3,300 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

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

Campsite Atlas →

None of the 17 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.

FS · 0.1 mi
Himes Peak Campground
First-come11 sites
FS · 0.1 mi
South Fork
Reservable18 sites
FS · 0.2 mi
Trappers Lake / Cutthroat Campground
First-come14 sites
FS · 0.2 mi
Trappers Lake / Trapline Campground
First-come13 sites
FS · 0.2 mi
Sheriff Reservoir Campground
First-come5 sites
FS · 0.2 mi
Trappers Lake / Bucks Campground
First-come10 sites
FS · 0.3 mi
Marvine Campground
Reservable23 sites
FS · 0.3 mi
Trappers Lake / Horse Thief Campground
First-come5 sites
Show 4 more

5 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 21

The Forest Service lists 21 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 20 day hikings, 1 viewpoint. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 21

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

Trails

Trailhead Atlas →

78 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 377 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.

TrailMiles
Oyster Lake ↗22.8
Chinese Wall ↗17.5
East Fork ↗15.7
Trappers Lake ↗14.4
South Fork Bridge ↗12.9
Ute Creek ↗11.3
Marvine ↗10.8
East Marvine ↗9.9
W. Mountain ↗9.8
Big Ridge ↗9.6

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.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 8 in all · Register Atlas

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

Guidebooks for Flat Tops Wilderness and Colorado

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • The fly fishing guide to Colorado's Flat Tops Wilderness
    Al Marlowe, 2013
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Colorado's Western Slope
    Bill Haggerty, 2025
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Dog Hikes Colorado
    Emma Walker, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Flat Tops Wilderness?

230,829 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Flat Tops Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Flat Tops Wilderness in?

Colorado.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Flat Tops Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1975.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Flat Tops 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 Flat Tops Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 39.952° N, 107.269° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Are there historic places near Flat Tops Wilderness?

The National Register has 8 listings within 15 miles, including Pyramid Guard Station and Antlers Cafe and Bar.

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.