West Elk Wilderness
The West Elk's most attractive offering may be a large and untamed area. You'll find many mountain passes leading to secluded and seldom-seen valleys filled with beaver ponds and lined with trembling aspen...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 176,431 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 38.7219, -107.2650 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12) |
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.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 11 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 day hiking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 8 miCliff Creek #840 ↗Day hiking · June
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Fire nearby
- WildfireElk
42 mi from the center point · 7,257 acres · 73% 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
- 6.1 miTown of Crested Butte (Boundary Increase and Boundary Decrease) ↗Crested Butte, CO
- 6.5 miCrested Butte Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Depot ↗Crested Butte, CO
- 8.4 miPaonia First Christian Church ↗Paonia, CO
- 8.6 miBross Hotel ↗Paonia, CO
- 8.6 miMathews House ↗Paonia, CO
- 8.6 miCurtis Hardware Store ↗Paonia, CO
- 9.1 miGunnison River Bridge I ↗Gunnison, CO
- 9.1 miGunnison River Bridge Ii ↗Gunnison, CO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is West Elk Wilderness?
176,431 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages West Elk Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is West Elk Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was West Elk Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at West Elk Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Soap Creek, 0.3 miles out. 11 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
Where are the trailheads in West Elk Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site here, including 1 day hiking. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to West Elk Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 38.722, -107.265. Curecanti National Recreation Area is 5 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near West Elk Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Elk at 42 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at West Elk Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 12 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Which national parks are near West Elk Wilderness?
Curecanti National Recreation Area (5 mi) and Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park (17 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
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.
- 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.