Rawah Wilderness
Just before the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies fades into Wyoming's Medicine Bow Mountains, the Rawah Wilderness protects a scenic high country of U-shaped glacier-carved valleys and peaks reaching 12,951 feet. To the south and west of the area lies an almost roadless Colorado State Forest, an unofficial extension of the Wilderness. Melting snow fills 26 lakes within the area. On the upper forested slopes of the mountains, especially in the southern section, clusters of old-growth spruce and fir abound. You can expend energy on more than 75 miles of trails. Take the Link Trail in the north for nine miles to join the Rawah Trail. Take the Rawah Trail across Grassy Pass and continue on down to the West Branch Trail.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 74,408 acres |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 40.74° N, 105.96° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14) |
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 8 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
21 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 107 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine Bow ↗ | 17.1 | |
| Blue Lake ↗ | 16.9 | |
| Rawah ↗ | 13.2 | |
| Link ↗ | 10.7 | |
| McIntyre ↗ | 9.2 | |
| Shipman Park ↗ | 6.9 | |
| West Branch ↗ | 6.8 | |
| Camp Lake ↗ | 5.9 | |
| McIntyre Creek | 3.6 | |
| Sawmill Snow | 3.1 |
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
- PrescribedMagic Feather Broadcast Rx
22 mi from the center point
- PrescribedSalt Cabin Broadcast Rx
23 mi from the center point
- PrescribedFront Country Broadcast 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
- 3.6 miLake Agnes Cabin ↗Gould, CO
- 4.4 mi
- 9.6 miMilner Pass Road Camp Mess Hall and House ↗Estes Park, CO
- 10 miFall River Pass Ranger Station ↗Estes Park, CO
- 10.3 miTimberline Cabin ↗Estes Park vicinity, CO
- 10.4 miFall River Pump House and Catchment Basin ↗Estes Park, CO
- 11.1 miWillow Park Stable ↗Estes Park, CO
- 11.1 miWillow Park Patrol Cabin ↗Estes Park, 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 Rawah Wilderness?
74,408 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Rawah Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Rawah Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Rawah Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Rawah 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 Rawah Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 40.738° N, 105.956° W. Rocky Mountain National Park is 16 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Rawah Wilderness right now?
3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Magic Feather Broadcast Rx at 22 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Which national parks are near Rawah Wilderness?
Rocky Mountain National Park (16 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Rawah Wilderness?
The National Register has 15 listings within 15 miles, including Lake Agnes Cabin and Colorado State Forest Building Complex.
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.