Flat Tops Wilderness
Arthur Carhart's 1919 visit to Trappers Lake in the verdant embrace of the Flat Tops prompted him to be the first U.S. Forest Service official to initiate a plea for Wilderness preservation. No wonder...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 230,829 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 39.9523, -107.2685 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24) |
Boundary map
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
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
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 20 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
8 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 21 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 20 day hikings, 1 viewpoint. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 2 miBig Marvine Peak #2258 ↗Day hiking
- 3 miTrappers Lake #1816 (Blanco) ↗Day hiking
- 3 miTrappers Lake ↗Viewpoint
- 3 miLittle Trappers #1814 ↗Day hiking
- 4 miBoulder Lake TH #2262 ↗Day hiking
- 4 miShingle Lake ↗Day hiking
- 5 miDeer Lake #1802 ↗Day hiking
- 5 miLost Lakes #1812 ↗Day hiking
- 5 miRim Lake TH #1856 ↗Day hiking
- 6 miMcGinnis #2213 ↗Day hiking
Show all 21Hide
- 6 miPine Isle Lake #2246 ↗Day hiking
- 6 miDoe Creek Ridge #2269 ↗Day hiking
- 6 miNichols Creek #1830 ↗Day hiking
- 7 miMirror Lake #1821 ↗Day hiking
- 7 miDevils Causeway #1803.3 ↗Day hiking
- 8 miDevil's Causeway ↗Day hiking · July to Mid-October
- 10 miBailey Lakes Trailhead #1859 ↗Day hiking
- 10 miIsland Lakes TH #1842 ↗Day hiking
- 11 miPark Creek #1829 ↗Day hiking
- 12 miLost Solar #1828 ↗Day hiking
- 12 miBlair Lake #2048 ↗Day hiking
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
78 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 377 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Oyster Lake ↗ | 22.8 | |
| Chinese Wall ↗ | 17.5 | |
| East Fork ↗ | 15.7 | |
| Trappers Lake ↗ | 14.4 | |
| South Fork Bridge ↗ | 12.9 | |
| Ute Creek ↗ | 11.3 | |
| Marvine ↗ | 10.8 | |
| East Marvine ↗ | 9.9 | |
| W. Mountain ↗ | 9.8 | |
| Big Ridge ↗ | 9.6 |
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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 1.4 miPyramid Guard Station ↗Yampa, CO
- 10.1 miAntlers Cafe and Bar ↗Yampa, CO
- 10.2 mi
- 12.5 miBell Mercantile ↗Oak Creek, CO
- 13.1 miDotsero Bridge ↗Dotsero, CO
- 13.2 miCanyon (Canon) Creek School, District No. 32 ↗Glenwood Springs, CO
- 13.6 miHotel Colorado ↗Glenwood Springs, CO
- 14.2 miSouth Canon Bridge ↗Glenwood Springs, CO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Flat Tops Wilderness?
230,829 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Flat Tops Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Flat Tops Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Flat Tops Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1975.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Flat Tops Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Himes Peak Campground, 0.1 miles out. 20 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
Where are the trailheads in Flat Tops Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 21 recreation sites here, including 20 day hikings and 1 viewing scenery. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Flat Tops Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 39.952, -107.269. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Flat Tops Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 24 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Flat Tops Wilderness?
8 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Pyramid Guard Station and Antlers Cafe and Bar.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- 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.