Lizard Head Wilderness
Lizard Head Peak (13,113 feet), stands spire-like on the eastern side of the Lizard Head Wilderness shadowed by 14,000-foot peaks, Mount Wilson and Wilson Peak. Not far to the west, you'll find El Diente (or the tooth, in English), the westernmost of the state's "fourteeners". Dolores Peak (13,290 feet) stands in the most western portion of the Wilderness. The province of more experienced climbers, Mount Wilson and El Diente are connected by a famous knife-edged ridge and considered difficult ascents. The summit of Lizard Head Peak, a 400-foot-tall tower of rotten rock, has been voted as one of Colorado's most dangerous and difficult climbs.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 41,531 acres |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.84° N, 108.01° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 20) |
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 6 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
16 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 79 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Groundhog Stock Dr ↗ | 13.4 | |
| Wilson Mesa ↗ | 12.8 | |
| Lizard Head ↗ | 12.1 | |
| Lone Cone ↗ | 9.9 | |
| Navajo Lake ↗ | 7.3 | |
| Woods Lake | 3.8 | |
| Kilpacker | 3.5 | |
| Cross Mountain | 3.1 | |
| Rock of Ages Connection | 2.7 | |
| Elk Creek | 2.5 |
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
- PrescribedGroundhog Piles Rx
9 mi from the center point · 30 acres
- WildfireGold Mountain
23 mi from the center point · 39,747 acres · 92% contained
- PrescribedUpd Baldy Mountain Piles Rx
25 mi from the center point · 120 acres
- PrescribedSalter Rx
33 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
- 6.6 miOld Bank of Telluride Building ↗National Historic Landmark
- 14.3 miShenandoah--Dives Mill ↗National Historic Landmark
- 0.6 mi
- 0.8 mi
- 6.2 miLewis Mill ↗Telluride, CO
- 6.6 miKauffman, William, House ↗Rico, CO
- 6.7 miRico City Hall ↗Rico, CO
- 6.7 miDey Building ↗Rico, 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 Lizard Head Wilderness?
41,531 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Lizard Head Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Lizard Head Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Lizard Head Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1980.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Lizard Head 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 Lizard Head Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.842° N, 108.015° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Lizard Head Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Groundhog Piles Rx at 9 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Lizard Head Wilderness?
The National Register has 11 listings within 15 miles, including Old Bank of Telluride Building and Shenandoah--Dives Mill.
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.