Lost Creek Wilderness
Lost Creek Wilderness is located approximately 60 miles southwest of Denver. Unlike most of Colorado's jagged Wilderness profiles, Lost Creek is a land of fascinating rounded granite domes and knobs, split...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 114,864 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 39.2798, -105.4214 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
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. 28 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
16 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
15 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 307 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado ↗ | 193.8 | |
| Brookside-McCurdy ↗ | 32.1 | |
| Ben Tyler ↗ | 11.7 | |
| Wigwam ↗ | 11.6 | |
| Goose Creek ↗ | 9.5 | |
| Payne Creek ↗ | 7.6 | |
| McCurdy Park ↗ | 7.2 | |
| Hankins Pass ↗ | 6.5 | |
| Rolling Creek ↗ | 6.4 | |
| Craig Park ↗ | 5.8 |
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
- 1.6 miGlenisle ↗Bailey, CO
- 2.2 miTarryall School ↗Tarryall, CO
- 3.1 miGreen Mountain Ranch ↗Buffalo Creek, CO
- 4.6 mi
- 7 miBlue Jay Inn ↗Buffalo Creek, CO
- 7.3 miGreen Mercantile Store ↗Buffalo Creek, CO
- 8.3 miSouth Platte River Bridge ↗Lake George, CO
- 11.1 miComo School ↗Como, CO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Lost Creek Wilderness?
114,864 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Lost Creek Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Lost Creek Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Lost Creek Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1980.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Lost Creek Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Lost Park, 0.1 miles out. 28 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
How do I get to Lost Creek Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 39.280, -105.421. Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument is 14 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Lost Creek Wilderness?
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 Lost Creek Wilderness?
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (14 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Lost Creek Wilderness?
14 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Glenisle and Tarryall School.
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.