Lost Creek Wilderness
Lost Creek Wilderness is located approximately 60 miles southwest of Denver. Unlike most of Colorado's jagged Wilderness profiles, Lost Creek is a land of fascinating rounded granite domes and knobs, split boulders, rare granite arches, and tree-lined mountain parks. Its rock formations are among the most spectacular in the entire Rocky Mountains. Wilderness elevations range from 8,000 feet to 12,400 feet. The northern section contains most of the Platte River Mountains and the Kenosha Mountains. Lost Creek got its name from its habit of repeatedly disappearing underground, later to reappear farther down the valley. Black bear, deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and bobcats share the region.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 114,864 acres |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 39.28° N, 105.42° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13) |
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 26 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
14 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
15 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 307 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado ↗ | 193.8 | |
| Brookside-McCurdy ↗ | 32.1 | |
| Ben Tyler ↗ | 11.7 | |
| Wigwam ↗ | 11.6 | |
| Goose Creek ↗ | 9.5 | |
| Payne Creek ↗ | 7.6 | |
| McCurdy Park ↗ | 7.2 | |
| Hankins Pass ↗ | 6.5 | |
| Rolling Creek ↗ | 6.4 | |
| Craig Park ↗ | 5.8 |
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
- PrescribedHarris Park Broadcast Rx
17 mi from the center point · 390 acres
- PrescribedO'Brien 2 Broadcast Rx
20 mi from the center point · 267 acres
- PrescribedRoad Gulch 2 Rx
27 mi from the center point
- PrescribedRainbow Gulch Rx
31 mi from the center point · 912 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
- 1.6 miGlenisle ↗Bailey, CO
- 2.2 miTarryall School ↗Tarryall, CO
- 3.1 miGreen Mountain Ranch ↗Buffalo Creek, CO
- 4.6 mi
- 7 miBlue Jay Inn ↗Buffalo Creek, CO
- 7.3 miGreen Mercantile Store ↗Buffalo Creek, CO
- 8.3 miSouth Platte River Bridge ↗Lake George, CO
- 11.1 miComo School ↗Como, CO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Lost Creek 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 Lost Creek Wilderness?
114,864 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Lost Creek Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Lost Creek Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Lost Creek Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1980.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Lost Creek 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 Lost Creek Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 39.280° N, 105.421° W. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is 14 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Lost Creek Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Harris Park Broadcast Rx at 17 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Lost Creek Wilderness?
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (14 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Lost Creek Wilderness?
The National Register has 14 listings within 15 miles, including Glenisle and Tarryall School.
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.