Mount Massive Wilderness
Mount Massive (14,421 feet), Colorado's second highest peak, and other mountains of the Sawatch Range have two distinctive characteristics: great height, and a huge, sloping bulk that makes them relatively easy to climb. Just south of the Wilderness stands Mount Elbert at 14,443 feet, Colorado's highest summit. Nowhere along the Continental Divide does the ground rise higher than the Sawatch Range, the crest of this continent. The divide marks the western boundary of this area, with the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness immediately to the other side. Dry lodgepole pine forests, typical of the eastern slopes of the divide, cover much of the lower elevations and give way to spruce and fir higher up before all trees yield to alpine tundra.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 29,027 acres |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 39.19° N, 106.47° 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 24 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
12 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
16 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 626 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado ↗ | 193.8 | |
| Colorado ↗ | 193.8 | |
| CDNST ↗ | 91.7 | |
| CDNST ↗ | 91.7 | |
| Highline/Native Lake ↗ | 12.9 | |
| Highline/Native Lake ↗ | 12.9 | |
| North Fork Lake Creek | 3.9 | |
| Mt. Massive | 3.7 | |
| Swamp Lake | 3.7 | |
| Colorado Midland Centennial | 3.5 |
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
- WildfireWillow
3 mi from the center point · 7,359 acres · 92% contained
- PrescribedNorth Trout Creek Rx
31 mi from the center point
- PrescribedNorth Endor Piles Rx
45 mi from the center point · 5 acres
- PrescribedCo Fire Camp Rx
47 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
- 6.1 miTabor Opera House ↗National Historic Landmark
- 0.7 miLeadville National Fish Hatchery ↗Leadville, CO
- 4.1 miDerry Mining Site Camp ↗Leadville, CO
- 6.1 miGolden Burro Cafe and Lounge ↗Leadville, CO
- 6.3 miHealy House ↗Leadville, CO
- 6.3 miDexter Cabin ↗Leadville, CO
- 7.3 miMatchless Mine ↗Leadville, CO
- 10.9 miCommercial Hotel ↗Granite, 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 Mount Massive Wilderness?
29,027 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Mount Massive Wilderness?
U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service share management. The U.S. Forest Service portion is the largest in the wilderness record.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Mount Massive Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Mount Massive Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1980.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Mount Massive 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 Mount Massive Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 39.190° N, 106.466° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Mount Massive Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Willow at 3 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Mount Massive Wilderness?
The National Register has 37 listings within 15 miles, including Tabor Opera House and Leadville National Fish Hatchery.
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.