Collegiate Peaks Wilderness

Collegiate Peaks Wilderness was designated 1980 and now maintains 167,996 acres. This Wilderness spans the Gunnison, White River, and Pike & San Isabel National Forests in Colorado.

With eight peaks over 14,000 feet in elevation, Collegiate Peaks Wilderness likely contains the highest average elevation of any Wilderness in the Lower 48. The peaks include Huron Peak (14,005'), Missouri Mountain (14,067'), Mt. Columbia (14,073'), Mt. Oxford (14,153' ), Mt Yale (14,196'), Mt Belford (14,197'), La Plata (14,340 ft., the state's fifth highest point), and Mt Harvard (14,420', the state's third highest point). Climbing the 14,000 foot peaks is a very popular activity, making opportunities for solitude very elusive.

Unusual and deep indentations in the boundary line are a legacy of man's hunt for gold and other valuable metals. About 40 miles of the Continental Divide meanders across the area. Timberline lakes and high mountain streams offer excellent fishing and scenery.

More than a dozen trailheads create a situation in which no one ever stands more than five miles from a road. The beauty of this unique place and the ease of access ensure many visitors, especially on weekends!

Always use Leave No Trace techniques to help keep this area wild, clean, and pristine.  In particular, please refrain from having camp fires near treeline. The dwarfed Krummholtz trees that grow there are taking a beating from insensitive campers.