Indian Peaks Wilderness
The Indian Peaks Wilderness is located primarily within the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest. Many of the peaks within the area were named for American Indian tribes of the West. The icy remains of the last glacial period sculpted out the rugged terrain of the Indian Peaks. Chill winds off perpetual snowfields have created an environment near treeline of stunted trees and alpine plants unusual for this part of the state. Managed primarily by the Forest Service, a small sliver along the northernmost boundary lies within Rocky Mountain National Park. All of this sliver is above treeline where no camping is allowed, and contains only one trail, a Forest Service trail that loops into the park for about a mile due to the terrain.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 77,932 acres |
| Designated | 1978, by Congress |
| Center point | 40.08° N, 105.67° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 19) |
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 21 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
9 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 OHV area. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 6 miConey Flats Trailhead ↗OHV area
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
40 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 190 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Beaver Creek ↗ | 24.8 | |
| High Lonesome ↗ | 17.9 | |
| Buchanan Pass ↗ | 15.8 | |
| Arapaho Pass ↗ | 13.8 | |
| Arapaho Glacier ↗ | 8 | |
| Pawnee Pass ↗ | 7.8 | |
| Diamond Lake ↗ | 7.6 | |
| Cascade Creek ↗ | 7.2 | |
| Devils Thumb ↗ | 6.9 | |
| St Vrain Mountain ↗ | 6.7 |
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
- PrescribedFront Country Broadcast Rx
20 mi from the center point
- PrescribedSalt Cabin Broadcast Rx
40 mi from the center point
- PrescribedHarris Park Broadcast Rx
40 mi from the center point · 390 acres
- PrescribedMagic Feather Broadcast Rx
46 mi from the center point
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
- 8.3 miWinks Panorama ↗National Historic Landmark
- 11.6 miWilliam's Stables ↗National Historic Landmark
- 12.1 miRocky Mountain National Park Administration Building ↗National Historic Landmark
- 0.2 miBuchan Cabin ↗Eldora, CO
- 0.6 miWall Street Assay Office ↗Wallstreet, CO
- 0.6 miWall Street Assay Office (Boundary Increase) ↗Wall Street, CO
- 0.7 miLonghurst Lodge ↗Allenspark, CO
- 1.6 miWild Basin House ↗Estes Park, CO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Indian Peaks Wilderness and Colorado
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
- A Fly Fishing Guide to Colorado's Indian Peaks Wilderness AreaSteven B. Schweitzer and Michael Kruise, 2024Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Indian Peaks Wilderness?
77,932 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Indian Peaks Wilderness?
U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service share management. The U.S. Forest Service portion is the largest in the wilderness record.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Indian Peaks Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Indian Peaks Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1978.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Indian Peaks 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 Indian Peaks Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 40.082° N, 105.667° W. Rocky Mountain National Park is 12 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Indian Peaks Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Front Country Broadcast Rx at 20 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Indian Peaks Wilderness?
Rocky Mountain National Park (12 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Indian Peaks Wilderness?
The National Register has 67 listings within 15 miles, including Winks Panorama and William's Stables.
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.