BLM Colorado | NLCS Wilderness

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

Colorado



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Wilderness

Wilderness is a legal designation outlined the Wilderness Act of 1964, which also created the Wilderness Preservation System. This designation offers long-term protection and conservation of landscapes, habitat and sources of clean water on public lands. These special places have little to no human-made improvements and are managed to maintain their primitive character. There are five BLM wilderness areas in Colorado:

BLACK RIDGE CANYONS WILDERNESS features distinctive spires and arches, massive alcoves, beautiful desert patina and seven major red rock canyon systems. The wilderness is located within the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. Deer, mountain lion and desert bighorn sheep, as well as golden and bald eagles call this area home. Visitors can enjoy hiking, horseback riding, hunting, backpacking and primitive camping in the wilderness; as well as rafting, canoeing and kayaking on the Colorado River.

Elevation Range: 4,300 to 7,130 feet
Total Area: 75,550 acres
Field Office: Grand Junction

DOMINGUEZ CANYON WILDERNESS offers excellent hiking and horseback riding opportunities through its sandstone canyons and pinyon-juniper-covered mesas. The wilderness is located within the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. Desert bighorn sheep graze at the base of the cliffs in the wilderness. Water runs through the Little Dominguez Creek year-round creating a great habitat for many birds, mammals and reptiles. Rock art on the canyon walls and wickiups on the mesas are evidence of thousands of years of Native American use, including hunting and travel from the Gunnison River Valley to the Uncompahgre Plateau. The wilderness also contains historic features left by the early miners and settlers who lived and worked throughout the area.

Elevation Range: 4,700 to 8,200 feet
Total Area: 66,280
Field Office: Grand Junction and Uncompahgre

GUNNISON GORGE WILDERNESS runs through the black granite and multi-colored sandstone double-canyon system of the Gunnison River and the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area. Encompassing 14 miles of river, the wilderness spans the canyon, rim to rim; and north from the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park downstream past the confluence of the Smith Fork and the Gunnison River. This area is managed for its outstanding wilderness, scenic and non-motorized recreational values, and offers technical (Class III-IV) remote boating experiences for rafters, kayakers and whitewater canoeists. The wilderness offers world-class gold medal trout fishing, backcountry hiking and remote camping opportunities.

Elevation Range: 5,200 to 8,000 feet
Total Area: 17,784 acres
Field Office: Uncompahgre

POWDERHORN WILDERNESS is found in a glacier-carved landscape consisting of large expanses of alpine tundra, spruce forests and several natural lakes at nearly 12,000 feet in elevation in the northern reaches of the San Juan Mountains. Elk, mule deer, black bear and bighorn sheep call the plateaus of this area home. At lower elevations, visitors can wander through stands of aspen, pine and fir trees. Within the wilderness, visitors can explore more than 45 miles of trails that provide access for hiking, horseback riding, fishing, hunting and camping. This area is jointly managed with the U.S. Forest Service.

Elevation Range: 8,600 to 12,644 feet
Total Area: 47,980 acres (BLM) and 14,270 acres (FS) for total of 62,250 acres
Field Office: Gunnison

UNCOMPAHGRE WILDERNESS contains gently rolling alpine tundra meadows, mountainous landscapes, rock castles and densely-forested canyons managed by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service in the north-central San Juan Mountains. This wilderness boasts two “fourteeners” and more than 34 peaks more than 13,000 feet in elevation. Several forks of the Cimarron River roar through the wilderness, and numerous alpine lakes and streams are scattered throughout the area. Visitors can explore over 100 miles of trails that provide opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, mountaineering, rock-climbing and camping.

Elevation Range: 8,400 to 14,309 feet
Total Area: 3,390 acres (BLM) and 99,331 acres (FS) for a total of 102,721 acres
Field Office: Gunnison