Backpacking
Miles of beautiful scenic trails cross our forest allowing the hardy backpacker to enjoy the rewards of the backcountry including the feeling of remoteness and solitude, close-up views of towering peaks, opportunities to fish alpine lakes, and walk along meadows scattered with brillant wildflowers. The Forest visitor use maps are a quick guide to our extensive trail system.
Many of our trails listed as day hiking can be made into loops for backpacking.
The GMUG National Forest has 10 wilderness areas comprising over 556,936 acres or almost 20% of our forest! Check out our Wilderness areas while you plan your backpacking adventures.
Backpacking Areas
- Grand Mesa
- Beaver #516
- Flowing Park #715.1A
- Hawxhurst #530
- Mesa Top #714
- Smalley Mountain #531
- Gunnison
- Crested Butte
- Beaver Ponds #516
- Bowman Creek #570
- Cement Mountain #553
- Conundrum #981
- Copper Creek #983
- Doubletop #405
- Star #411
- Gunnison - Southeast
- Agate Creek #484
- Summit #486
- Lake City
- Alpine. #225
- Big Blue Creek #232
- Bonholder #467
- Canon Infierno #461
- Cascade Creek #468
- Cebolla #459
- Crystal Lake #235
- Devils Canyon #469
- El Paso Creek #238
- Failes Creek #230
- Fall Creek #231
- Independence Gulch #234
- Larson Lakes #236
- Machin Basin #784
- Matterhorn Cutoff #245
- Miners Creek #785
- North Calf Creek #460
- Powderhorn Park #462
- Ridge Stock Driveway #233
- Saddle #140
- Skyline #465
- Stewart Creek #470
- Uncompahgre Peak #239
- Pitkin
- Brown's Pass #369
- Canyon Creek #481
- Crest #531
- Horseshoe Creek #482
- Summerville #430
- Texas Creek #416
- Beaver Creek #464
- Castle Pass #441
- Coal Mesa #451
- Cow Creek #453
- Low Line #438
- Mill Castle #450
- Rainbow Lake #449
- Soap Creek #443
- Swampy Pass #439
- Zigzag #601
- North Fork Valley - Paonia District
- Bald Mountain Tie-In #882
- Beckwith Bench #845
- Beckwith Pass #842
- Castle Pass #441
- Clear Fork #810
- Cliff Creek #840
- Coal Basin Trail #859
- Crater Lake #800
- Curecanti #870
- Dark Canyon #830
- Dark Canyon/Munsey Tie-in #830A
- Drift Creek #815
- Dyke Creek #837
- Elk Basin #854
- Elk Park #800A
- Gooseberry #814
- Hoodoo Gap #877
- Inter-Ocean Pass #890
- Jones Creek #812
- Kaufman Creek #852
- Lamborn #894
- Landsend #897
- Little Elk Basin #892
- Little Robinson #850
- Lone Cabin #876
- Lone Pine #862
- Mendicant Ridge #884
- Moseley Ridge #851
- Mount Lamborn #895
- Munsey Ruby Stock Driveway #831
- Navajo Ridge #857
- North Anthracite #832
- Oh-Be-Joyful Pass #835
- Peter Creek #856
- Piburn #880
- Raggeds #820
- Raggeds Tie-in Trail #823
- Robinson Creek #854A
- Ruby Anthracite #836
- Sheep Lake #848
- Sheep Lake Cutoff #855
- Silver Basin #834
- Sink Creek #861
- Soap Creek #443
- South Dyer Trail #714
- Spud Pass #824
- Terror #802
- Three Lakes #843
- Throughline #860
- Todd Reservoir Jeep #891
- Trail Creek #872
- West Dyer #885
- San Juan Mountains
- Alpine #225
- Courthouse #218
- Courthouse Mountain #144
- Cow Creek #220
- Coxcomb #132
- Deer Creek #223
- East Fork #228
- Fox Creek #249
- High Mesa #133
- Little Cimarron #229
- Little Cimarron East #246
- Matterhorn #135
- Middle Fork #227
- Porphyry Basin #243
- Sheep Mountain #253
- Stealey Mountain South #258
- Upper East Fork #142
- Alpine Mine #206.1A
- Bear Creek #241.1A
- Bear Creek - South Fork #242
- Bear Creek National Recreation Trail #241
- Blue Lakes #201
- Box Factory #200.1B
- Corbett #209
- Winchester Gulch #216.1B
- Alder Creek #510
- Elk Creek #407
- Hope Lake #410
- Lizard Head #505
- Rock Of Ages #429
- Sneffels Highline #434
- Wilson Meadows #512
- Wilson Peak
- Woods Lake #406
- Uncompahgre Plateau
- Franks Bench #632
- Indian #500
- Middle Point Escalante #631
- Thimble Point #417