Fossil Ridge Wilderness
Here is a small but almost perfect mountain kingdom, with raw granite towering above several beautiful shallow lakes and long valleys carved by ancient glaciers and replete with pine, spruce, fir, and aspen. The limestone ridge rises above 13,000 feet, climbing well beyond the tree line, and contains the fossilized remains of numerous prehistoric sea creatures. Above Lamphier Lake, a slim cut in the bare rock called Gunsight Pass (barely shoulder-width!) opens the ridge for foot travel from South Lottis Creek's drainage to Crystal Creek's drainage. Square Top Mountain, approximately 12,500 feet high and about an hour's worth of climbing above Lamphier Lake, allows a virtually unparalleled view of almost half of Colorado's fourteeners.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 32,062 acres |
| Designated | 1993, by Congress |
| Center point | 38.70° N, 106.64° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
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 12 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.
Trails
9 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 46 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Fossil Ridge ↗ | 11.8 | |
| Summerville ↗ | 10.6 | |
| South Lottis ↗ | 10.5 | |
| Van Tuyl ↗ | 7.5 | |
| Henry Lake | 1.9 | |
| Mill Lake | 1.7 | |
| Mill Lake Ski | 1.7 | |
| Seely | 0.5 | |
| Lower Lamphier Lake | 0.1 |
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
- PrescribedNorth Endor Piles Rx
25 mi from the center point · 5 acres
- PrescribedCo Fire Camp Rx
26 mi from the center point
- PrescribedRx -Salida Fire Camp
26 mi from the center point
- PrescribedSargents Mesa Piles Rx
31 mi from the center point · 116 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
- 11.2 miMorley Bridge ↗Romley, CO
- 12.8 miFisher-Zugelder House and Smith Cottage ↗Gunnison, CO
- 12.9 miWebster Building ↗Gunnison, CO
- 12.9 miVienna Bakery--Johnson Restaurant ↗Gunnison, CO
- 13.3 miEdgerton House ↗Gunnison, CO
- 14.3 miGunnison River Bridge Ii ↗Gunnison, CO
- 14.5 miGunnison River Bridge I ↗Gunnison, CO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Colorado
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Fossil Ridge Wilderness?
32,062 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Fossil Ridge Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Fossil Ridge Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Fossil Ridge Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1993.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Fossil Ridge 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 Fossil Ridge Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 38.696° N, 106.645° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Fossil Ridge Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest North Endor Piles Rx at 25 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Fossil Ridge Wilderness?
The National Register has 7 listings within 15 miles, including Morley Bridge and Fisher-Zugelder House and Smith Cottage.
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.