South San Juan Wilderness
Ages of volcanic activity followed by the infinitely patient carving of glaciers left the rough, imposing terrain of the remote South San Juan Wilderness, an area typified by steep slopes above broad U-shaped valleys cut sharply deeper by eroding streams. You'll find high peaks and cliffs, as well as jagged pinnacles and ragged ridges, making travel difficult. Elevations rise as high as 13,300 feet. Thirty-two lakes, most of them formed by glacial activity, hold much of the area's moisture and drain into turbulent creeks. The Conejos, San Juan, and Blanco Rivers have their headwaters here, and about 25 miles of the Conejos River has been recommended for Wild and Scenic designation.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 160,997 acres |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.25° N, 106.64° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 18) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
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.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 4 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 2 horse Ridings, 1 backpacking, 1 trailhead. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 4 miThree Forks Trailhead 712 ↗Trailhead
- 1 mi
- 9 miAlverjones Trailhead ↗Horse Riding
- 10 miAlverjones Cutoff Trailhead - No # ↗Horse Riding
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
44 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 460 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Continental Divide NST ↗ | 139.7 | |
| Continental Divide NST ↗ | 72.9 | |
| Elk Creek ↗ | 19.7 | |
| Quartz Ridge ↗ | 15.7 | |
| Fish Creek ↗ | 15.3 | |
| Fish Lake ↗ | 12.3 | |
| Coal Creek ↗ | 12 | |
| Valle Victoria ↗ | 11.6 | |
| South Fork ↗ | 10.9 | |
| Roaring Gulch ↗ | 9.9 |
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
- PrescribedWolf Creek Piles Rx
18 mi from the center point · 2 acres
- PrescribedMogote Campground Piles Rx
26 mi from the center point · 72 acres
- PrescribedRito Hondo Piles Rx
29 mi from the center point · 60 acres
- PrescribedEast Bench Piles Rx
42 mi from the center point · 5 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
- 12.8 miFoster Hotel ↗Chama, NM
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for South San Juan Wilderness and Colorado
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
- Hiking Colorado's Weminuche and South San Juan Wilderness AreasDonna Ikenberry, 2014Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is South San Juan Wilderness?
160,997 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages South San Juan Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is South San Juan Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was South San Juan Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1980.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at South San Juan 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 South San Juan Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.246° N, 106.639° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near South San Juan Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Wolf Creek Piles Rx at 18 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near South San Juan Wilderness?
The National Register has 1 listing within 15 miles, including Foster Hotel.
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.