Weminuche Wilderness
The Weminuche Wilderness, designated in 1975 and expanded to its current size by the Colorado Wilderness Acts of 1980 and 1993, is the largest designated Wilderness in Colorado. It lies in the San Juan and Rio Grande National Forests in southwestern Colorado, with an average elevation of 10,000 feet. Eolus, Sunlight, and Windom Peaks rise above 14,000 feet, while many others exceed 13,000 feet. The Weminuche is bisected by 50 miles of the Continental Divide, the geological backbone of North America, directing its headwaters to either the Pacific or Atlantic oceans.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 497,111 acres |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.61° N, 107.31° 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
1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 39 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
28 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
82 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 791 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Continental Divide NST ↗ | 139.7 | |
| Continental Divide NST ↗ | 72.9 | |
| Pine-Piedra ↗ | 41 | |
| Pine River ↗ | 23.2 | |
| Endlich Mesa ↗ | 20.8 | |
| Turkey Creek ↗ | 20.4 | |
| Archuleta ↗ | 19.7 | |
| Vallecito ↗ | 19.5 | |
| Lake Fork ↗ | 15.8 | |
| Sand Creek ↗ | 14.6 |
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
- PrescribedEast Bench Piles Rx
27 mi from the center point · 5 acres
- PrescribedWolf Creek Piles Rx
29 mi from the center point · 2 acres
- WildfireElk
36 mi from the center point · 7,257 acres · 90% contained
- WildfireGold Mountain
37 mi from the center point · 39,747 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
- 4.3 miShenandoah--Dives Mill ↗National Historic Landmark
- 1.9 miCascade Boy Scout Camp ↗Durango, CO
- 2.8 miWagon Wheel Gap Railroad Station ↗Creede, CO
- 3.7 miDebs School ↗Pagosa Springs, CO
- 4 miAnimas Canon Toll Road ↗Durango, CO
- 8.2 miSevenmile Bridge ↗Creede, CO
- 8.9 miDenver & Rio Grande Railroad South Fork Water Tank ↗South Fork, CO
- 9 miSpruce Lodge ↗South Fork, CO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Colorado
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Weminuche Wilderness?
497,111 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Weminuche Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Weminuche Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Weminuche Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1975.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Weminuche 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 Weminuche Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.606° N, 107.305° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Weminuche Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest East Bench Piles Rx at 27 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Weminuche Wilderness?
The National Register has 18 listings within 15 miles, including Shenandoah--Dives Mill and Cascade Boy Scout Camp.
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.