USFS · Colorado

Neota Wilderness

Bordering Rocky Mountain National Park on the south and surrounded by other Wilderness areas, little Neota actually stands in a huge expanse of virtually roadless country. With elevations ranging between...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Neota Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateColorado
Size9,927 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1980, by Congress
Center point40.5230, -105.8399
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 18)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Neota Wilderness10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 1.72 inches of precipitationFebruary: 2.53 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.84 inches of precipitationApril: 2.65 inches of precipitationMay: 2.30 inches of precipitationJune: 1.66 inches of precipitationJuly: 2.35 inches of precipitationAugust: 2.07 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.89 inches of precipitationOctober: 2.04 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.66 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.59 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 15.8°F averageFebruary: 17.5°F averageMarch: 25.0°F averageApril: 32.3°F averageMay: 40.9°F averageJune: 50.2°F averageJuly: 56.3°F averageAugust: 54.8°F averageSeptember: 47.7°F averageOctober: 36.1°F averageNovember: 24.9°F averageDecember: 17.0°F average0 in1 in2 in3 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Gould 4Se Sfsp, 9 miles from the center point at 9,000 feet, station USC00053446 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 24 inches a year. The station sits about 1,700 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 →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 7 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

5 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 26 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Long Draw13.1
Trap Park6
Meadow Snow3.9
Neota Creek1.6
Zimmerman Lake Loop1.4

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

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Register listings within 15 miles · 19 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Neota Wilderness?

9,927 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Neota Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Neota Wilderness in?

Colorado.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Neota Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1980.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Neota Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Chambers Lake, 1.9 miles out. 7 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 Neota Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 40.523, -105.840. Rocky Mountain National Park is 11 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Neota Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 18 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 Neota Wilderness?

Rocky Mountain National Park (11 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Neota Wilderness?

19 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Lake Agnes Cabin and Colorado State Forest Building Complex.

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.