Indian Peaks Wilderness
The Indian Peaks Wilderness is located primarily within the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest. Many of the peaks within the area were named for American Indian tribes of the west. Managed primarily...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 77,932 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1978, by Congress |
| Center point | 40.0821, -105.6671 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 19) |
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. 24 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
12 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 OHV area. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 6 miConey Flats Trailhead ↗OHV area
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
40 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 190 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Beaver Creek ↗ | 24.8 | |
| High Lonesome ↗ | 17.9 | |
| Buchanan Pass ↗ | 15.8 | |
| Arapaho Pass ↗ | 13.8 | |
| Arapaho Glacier ↗ | 8 | |
| Pawnee Pass ↗ | 7.8 | |
| Diamond Lake ↗ | 7.6 | |
| Cascade Creek ↗ | 7.2 | |
| Devils Thumb ↗ | 6.9 | |
| St Vrain Mountain ↗ | 6.7 |
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
- 8.3 miWinks Panorama ↗National Historic Landmark
- 11.6 miWilliam's Stables ↗National Historic Landmark
- 12.1 miRocky Mountain National Park Administration Building ↗National Historic Landmark
- 0.2 miBuchan Cabin ↗Eldora, CO
- 0.6 miWall Street Assay Office ↗Wallstreet, CO
- 0.6 miWall Street Assay Office (Boundary Increase) ↗Wall Street, CO
- 0.7 miLonghurst Lodge ↗Allenspark, CO
- 1.6 miWild Basin House ↗Estes Park, CO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Indian Peaks Wilderness?
77,932 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Indian Peaks Wilderness?
U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service share management. The U.S. Forest Service portion is the largest in the wilderness record.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Indian Peaks Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Indian Peaks Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1978.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Indian Peaks Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Rainbow Lakes Campground, 0.1 miles out. 24 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 Indian Peaks Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site here, including 1 ohv road riding. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Indian Peaks Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 40.082, -105.667. Rocky Mountain National Park is 12 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Indian Peaks Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 19 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 Indian Peaks Wilderness?
Rocky Mountain National Park (12 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Indian Peaks Wilderness?
66 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Winks Panorama and William's Stables.
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.