Mount Sneffels Wilderness
The United States Congress designated the Mount Sneffels Wilderness in 1980, and it now has a total of 16,566 acres. Mount Sneffels, a 14,150-foot intrusion of igneous rock on the eastern verge of this area, stands higher than any other point in the Wilderness. Members of the Hayden Survey purportedly named the peak after the Icelandic mountain in Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth." Sneffels is the Nordic word for snowfield. Westward stretches a sheer vertical world of sharp ridges, icy slopes, and ragged peaks. It makes for dangerous climbing typical of the San Juan Mountains, sometimes called America's Switzerland, a land of unsurpassed mountain drama.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 16,486 acres |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 38.01° N, 107.87° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 22) |
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
7 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 55 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas ↗ | 22 | |
| Alder Creek ↗ | 9.6 | |
| Sneffels Highline ↗ | 8.4 | |
| Blue Lakes ↗ | 6.5 | |
| Whipple Mountain ↗ | 6.3 | |
| Iron Mountain | 2.1 | |
| Deep Creek Basin | 0.5 |
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
- PrescribedUpd Baldy Mountain Piles Rx
11 mi from the center point · 120 acres
- WildfireGold Mountain
11 mi from the center point · 39,747 acres · 92% contained
- PrescribedGroundhog Piles Rx
20 mi from the center point · 30 acres
- WildfireElk
29 mi from the center point · 7,257 acres · 90% contained
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
- 2.5 miOld Bank of Telluride Building ↗National Historic Landmark
- 14.3 miShenandoah--Dives Mill ↗National Historic Landmark
- 4.7 miSmuggler-Union Hydroelectric Power Plant ↗Telluride, CO
- 5.3 miFort Peabody ↗Telluride, CO
- 6.7 miBeaumont Hotel ↗Ouray, CO
- 6.8 miOuray City Hall and Walsh Library ↗Ouray, CO
- 7 miLewis Mill ↗Telluride, CO
- 7.4 miJackson, George, House ↗Ridgway, 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 Sneffels Wilderness?
16,486 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Mount Sneffels Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Mount Sneffels Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Mount Sneffels Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1980.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Mount Sneffels 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 Sneffels Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 38.012° N, 107.874° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Mount Sneffels Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Upd Baldy Mountain Piles Rx at 11 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Mount Sneffels 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.