USFS · Colorado

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests

National Forest managed by the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado, 3.2 million acres by the boundary data. No Wikipedia article matched the name closely enough to quote.

National Forest3.2 million acresUSFSCO124 campgrounds within 10 mi148 Forest Service sites896 trails
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
2fires
active
Elk · 31 mi from the center · 7,257 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateColorado
Size3.2 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0204, region 02
Center point38.5693, -107.4461
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13)

Boundary map

6 outlines

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.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests10°20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.09 inches of precipitation, 14.5 inches of snowFebruary: 0.94 inches of precipitation, 11.6 inches of snowMarch: 0.91 inches of precipitation, 8.2 inches of snowApril: 1.22 inches of precipitation, 5.7 inches of snowMay: 1.28 inches of precipitation, 1.1 inches of snowJune: 0.68 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 1.37 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.41 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.82 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.35 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowNovember: 1.04 inches of precipitation, 9.7 inches of snowDecember: 1.17 inches of precipitation, 14.5 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 18.8°F averageFebruary: 24.7°F averageMarch: 34.8°F averageApril: 43.0°F averageMay: 51.1°F averageJune: 59.2°F averageJuly: 65.4°F averageAugust: 63.8°F averageSeptember: 56.4°F averageOctober: 45.0°F averageNovember: 32.5°F averageDecember: 21.0°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Cimarron, 11 miles from the center point at 6,890 feet, station USC00051609 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 14 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 67 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 1,800 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

66 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 58 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Almont
Reservable4 sites
FS · Inside
Alpine Ranger Station
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Alta Lakes Campground (Designated)
First-comeCO
FS · Inside
Amphitheater
Reservable35 sites
FS · Inside
Angel Creek Campground
First-comeCO
FS · Inside
Aspen Leaf Cabin
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Beaver Lake
Reservable4 sites
FS · Inside
Big Blue Campground
First-comeCO
Show 4 more

112 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 148

The Forest Service lists 148 recreation sites in this forest, among them 56 campgrounds, 32 day hikings, 11 trailheads, 10 picnic areas. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 60

The 60 closest to the center point are listed; 88 more are on the Forest Service site.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Trails

Every trail on Trailhead Atlas →

The Forest Service trail layer records 896 named trails in this forest, 3,436 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.

TrailMiles
Sunlight to Powderhorn Sno ↗55.1
Skyline ↗34.7
Summit ↗34.4
CDNST ↗31
Timberline ↗30.4
Cumberland Pass Snowmobile/Ski ↗26.5
Ridge Stock Driveway ↗25.1
Doctor Park ↗23.2
Curecanti ↗23.1
Parallel ↗22.9

Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.

All 896 trails in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests on Trailhead Atlas ↗

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-18
  • Wildfire
    Elk

    31 mi from the center point · 7,257 acres · 73% contained

  • Wildfire
    Gold Mountain

    38 mi from the center point · 39,747 acres · 92% 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

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Recreation Area · 2 mi
Curecanti National Recreation Area
National Park · 9 mi
Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
National Monument · 12 mi
Colorado National Monument
National Register listings within 15 miles · 160 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests?

3.2 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests in?

Colorado.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests?

66 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Almont, Alpine Ranger Station and Alta Lakes Campground (Designated). 124 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests?

The Forest Service lists 148 recreation sites here, including 56 campground campgrounds, 32 day hikings and 11 trailheads. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests?

A point inside the boundary is at 38.569, -107.446. Curecanti National Recreation Area is 2 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Elk at 31 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 13 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 Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests?

Curecanti National Recreation Area (2 mi), Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park (9 mi) and Colorado National Monument (12 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests?

160 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Old Bank of Telluride Building and Shenandoah--Dives Mill.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched by forest code.
  • 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.