Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness
The Williams Fork Mountains leap up and away into Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness from just below the western entrance to the Eisenhower Tunnel on Interstate 70, virtually unnoticed in winter as skiers rush to many nearby developed ski areas. The south slope of the mountains, dominated by Ptarmigan Peak at 12,458 feet, is where you'll find the designated land. A typical lodgepole-pine forest rises to Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir and then on to alpine tundra at the highest elevations. From the boundary along the top of the mountain ridgeline, the terrain drops into the wet, lush, and lovely drainages of the South and Middle Forks of the Williams Fork Rivers. You will not find many miles of trails in this Wilderness.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 12,615 acres |
| Designated | 1993, by Congress |
| Center point | 39.71° N, 106.04° 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
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 14 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
2 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
6 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 39 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Ute Peak ↗ | 13.6 | |
| Ute Peak ↗ | 12.5 | |
| Ptarmigan Peak ↗ | 5.4 | |
| Acorn Creek Trail | 3 | |
| Laskey Gulch | 2.8 | |
| Ptarmigan Pass | 2.1 |
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
32 mi from the center point · 390 acres
- WildfireWillow
39 mi from the center point · 7,359 acres · 92% 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
- 13.3 miGeorgetown Schoolhouse ↗National Historic Landmark
- 3 miSlate Creek Bridge ↗Slate Creek, CO
- 6.1 miWildhack's Grocery Store-Post Office ↗Frisco, CO
- 6.3 miFrisco Schoolhouse ↗Frisco, CO
- 8.1 miMontezuma Schoolhouse ↗Montezuma, CO
- 8.5 miThe Bunk House Lodge ↗Breckenridge, CO
- 11.7 miSilver Plume Depot ↗Silver Plume, CO
- 12.3 miLebanon and Everett Mine Tunnels ↗Silver Plume, 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 Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness?
12,615 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1993.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Ptarmigan Peak 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 Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 39.706° N, 106.042° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Harris Park Broadcast Rx at 32 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness?
The National Register has 17 listings within 15 miles, including Georgetown Schoolhouse and Slate Creek Bridge.
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.