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					Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands


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 Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
   Collegiate Peaks Wilderness was designated by the United States Congress in 1980, and it now has a total of 167,584 acres. Located in Colorado, this wilderness spans the Gunnison, White River and Pike & San Isabel National Forests. With eight "fourteeners" (peaks exceeding 14,000 feet in elevation), Collegiate Peaks Wilderness probably possesses 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 these peaks is a very popular activity, making opportunities for solitude very elusive. Expect to be inundated by people and their dogs on any "fourteener" trail. As you travel through the area, you might notice unusual and deep indentations in the boundary line. These are a legacy of man's hunt for gold and other valuable metals that are still sought just outside. More than a dozen trailheads create a situation in which no one ever stands more than five miles from a road. About 40 miles of the serpentine Continental Divide snake across the area, and this expansive wilderness lies in parts of three national forests. The beauty of this place and its ease of access ensure torrents of visitors, especially on weekends. Timberline lakes and high mountain streams offer excellent fishing and scenery. Browns Pass, Red Mountain Creek, Texas Creek and Magdalena trails are in this wilderness. Please help keep wilderness wild by following Leave No Trace practices. In particular, please refrain from having camp fires near treeline. The dwarfed Krummholtz trees that grow there are are being damaged by insensitive campers.
  At a Glance Usage:
				Medium-HeavyBusiest Season:
				June-SeptemberRestrictions:
				Wilderness regulations applyClosest Towns:
				Buena Vista & Leadville, COOperated By:
				U.S. Forest ServiceInformation Center:
				Leadville and Salida Ranger Districts, Pike and San Isabel National Forests
	Gunnison Ranger District, Gunnison National Forest
	West Zone/Aspen Ranger District, White River National Forest
 General Information Directions: **Some access points to Collegiate Peaks Wilderness at Pike and San Isabel National Forests:** Denny Creek Trail
	Collegiate Peaks Campground – Nearby access to Denny Creek Trail
	Colorado Trail #1776 (Avalanche Trailhead)
	Colorado Trail #1776 (North Cottonwood)
	North Cottonwood Trail
	Colorado Trail #1776/ Clear Creek Trail **See also:** Grand Mesa Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests Collegiate Peaks Wilderness information.
	White River National Forest Collegiate Peaks Wilderness information. **Topo maps** Forest Service Topography Maps: These maps overlay Forest Service assets, such as roads, trails, and campgrounds, on USGS's topographic maps. They are available for download by quadrangle. **Colorado’s Fourteeners** Find more information about climbing Colorado’s peaks at theRocky Mountain Region 14ers page. **Wilderness.net** Go to Wilderness.net for additional maps and information about Wilderness.
 Recreation Map Map showing recreational areas. 
		
			Map Information
 Activities Hiking Day Hiking  Backpacking
 Horse Riding & Camping Horse Riding
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  Highlights 'Queen of the 14ers'
						       Link opens in a new windowShe is the agency’s Colorado Fourteeners Program manager; others simply refer to her as ‘Queen of the 14ers’.
    Location
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	**Pike-San Isabel National Forests &
Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands
Forest Supervisor Office**

2840 Kachina Drive
Pueblo, CO 81008
719-553-1400
TTY: 719-553-1404
M-F 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

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