Colorado

West Elk Wilderness within Gunnison National Forest is 176,412 acres, the fifth largest Wilderness in Colorado. Elevations range from 7,000 to over 13,000 feet. This Wilderness is a large untamed area with little visitation. Only during fall hunting season do the trails and campsites fill with people.

Elk and deer number in the thousands. Here you’ll find mountain passes leading to secluded valleys filled with beaver ponds and lined with trembling aspen that turn gold in September.

Past volcanic activity has produced long lava flows in the area. Ridges have been crumbled and carved by wind and water into fantastic turrets, pinnacles, and crenellated bulwarks. The topography is reflected in many of the area's geographic names: Castle Pass, Castle View, Castle Creek, and the Castles.

About two hundred miles of trails offer opportunities for extended loop hikes through the West Elk Wilderness. Most of the trails provide excellent pathways for horse traffic. Mill Castle Trail is one of the most rugged and scenic trails in this Wilderness.

The rugged mid-country of the West Elk Wilderness is very remote. It is recommended that visitors be able to navigate the backcountry using topographic maps.

Points of interest include: the Castles, West Elk Peak, Sheep Lake, North/Middle and South Baldy mountains, and East and West Beckwith mountains.

For access points off of Gunnison County Road 12 also known as Kebler Pass Road, follow Forest Service Road 709, also known as Coal Creek Road. Coal Creek Road is an 11-mile-long, narrow one lane forest road with turn-outs. The Through Line Trailhead is about 9 miles from Kebler Pass down Coal Creek Road on the right which has primitive camp sites and a vaulted toilet. The road ends at the Little Robinson Trailhead just before private property which is gated. Traveling on this road when wet or in adverse weather is not recommended.

Please always use Leave No Trace techniques to help keep these areas wild, clean, and pristine.

West Elk Peak in the West Elk Wilderness Colorado
John Sowell, West Elk Peak, Gunnison County, Colorado, USA 02, CC BY-SA 4.0
Location overview for West Elk Wilderness Hiking Map
When Open? Area Acres Operated By
Year-round; 24 hours a day 176,412 acres US Forest Service
Paonia Ranger District
Gunnison Ranger District
Dogs Allowed? Miles of Trail Max/Min Elev (ft)
Dogs allowed on leash or direct verbal control 383 6,790ft - 13,040ft

West Elk Wilderness Trail and Map Finder

Area Hiking Trails:
1 - April Gulch Trail #9635
2 - Bald Mountain Tie In Trail #8882
3 - Beaver Creek South Trail - PRIMITIVE
4 - Beaver Creek Trail #9464
5 - Beaver Ponds Trail #9516
Area Hiking Trails:
1 - April Gulch Trail #9635
2 - Bald Mountain Tie In Trail #8882
3 - Beaver Creek South Trail - PRIMITIVE
4 - Beaver Creek Trail #9464
5 - Beaver Ponds Trail #9516
6 - Beckwith Bench Trail #8845
7 - Beckwith Pass Trail #8842
8 - Big Spruce Park Trail #876.1A - MOTORIZED
9 - Black Gulch Trail #9574 - MOTORIZED
10 - Caste Creek Cow Camp Access Trail 1
11 - Castle Creek Cow Camp Access Trail 2
12 - Castle Pass Trail #8441
13 - Cliff Creek Trail #8840
14 - Coal Basin Trail #8859
15 - Coal Creek Trail #9452.0
16 - Coal Mesa Cutoff Trail #9451.2A - PRIMITIVE
17 - Coal Mesa Loop Trail #9451.0A
18 - Coal Mesa Trail #9451
19 - Coffeepot Creek Spur Trail - PRIMITIVE
20 - Coffeepot Creek Trail #9456
21 - Coffeepot Creek Trail #9456 - North PRIMITIVE
22 - Costo Lake Trail #9425
23 - Cow Creek Trail #9453
24 - Curecanti Trail #8870
25 - Cutover Trail - PRIMITIVE
26 - Dollar Lake Trail
27 - Dyer Connection Spur Trail - PRIMITIVE
28 - Dyer Connection Trail #8886
29 - Dyer Creek Trail #8888
30 - Dyer Spur Trail
31 - East Creek Trail #9524
32 - East Creek Trail #9524 - EAST
33 - East Curecanti Trail #9454
34 - East Soap Trail #9535
35 - Elk Basin Trail #8854
36 - Hammond Trail - PRIMITIVE
37 - Hawks Nest Ranch Trail
38 - Haystack Mountain Trail
39 - Hoodoo Gap Trail #8877
40 - Inter-Ocean Pass Trail #8890
41 - Kaufman Creek Trail #8852
42 - Kaufman-Elk Basin Connector Trail
43 - Lake Access Trail
44 - Lake Spur Trail
45 - Lamborn Trail #8894
46 - Lion Gulch Trail #9536
47 - Little Elk Basin Trail #8892
48 - Little Mill Trail #9455 - MOTORIZED
49 - Little Pass Creek Trail #9563
50 - Little Robinson Trail #8850
51 - Lone Cabin Trail #876 - MOTORIZED
52 - Lone Pine Trail #8862
53 - Lost Lake Shore Trail
54 - Lowline - Swampy Cutoff Trail
55 - Lowline Alt Trail
56 - Lowline Alternate Trail
57 - Lowline Spur Trail
58 - Lowline Trail #9438
59 - Mendicant Ridge Trail #8884
60 - Mill Castle Cutoff Trail
61 - Mill Castle Trail #9450
62 - Minnesota Cow Camp Trail
63 - Minnesota Pass Trail #8875
64 - Moseley Ridge Trail #8851
65 - Mount Lamborn Trail #8895
66 - Navajo Gulch Trail - PRIMITIVE
67 - Navajo Ridge Trail #8857
68 - PIburn Trail #8880
69 - Peter Creek Trail #8856
70 - Rainbow Lake Trail #9449
71 - Robinson Creek Trail #8854A
72 - Sheep Lake Cutoff Trail
73 - Sheep Lake Trail #8848
74 - Sheep Lake Trail #9551
75 - Sink Creek Trail #8861
76 - Soap Basin Trail #9442
77 - Soap Creek Trail #9443
78 - South Dyer Trail #8714
79 - Spur Trail - PRIMITIVE
80 - Spur Trail 2 - PRIMITIVE
81 - Storm Pass to West Elk Peak Trail
82 - Sun Park South Trail
83 - Sun Park Trail #9444
84 - Swampy Pass Trail #8439
85 - Swampy Trail #9439
86 - Three Lakes Trail #8843
87 - Through Line Trail #8860
88 - Trail Creek Trail #8872
89 - UNKNOWN NAME 2 Trail
90 - UNKNOWN NAME Trail
91 - Uknown Name Trail 6
92 - Unknown Name Trail - PRIMITIVE
93 - Unknown Name Trail 10
94 - Unknown Name Trail 12 - PRIMITIVE
95 - Unknown Name Trail 3
96 - Unknown Name Trail 4
97 - Unknown Name Trail 5
98 - Unknown Name Trail 7
99 - Unknown Name Trail 8
100 - Unknown Name Trail 9
101 - Unknown Name Trail 9 - PRIMITIVE
102 - Unknown Trail - MOTORIZED
103 - Unknown Trail 9
104 - Unkonwn Trail 13
105 - West Beaver Creek Trail #447
106 - West Beaver Trail #9447 - PRIMITIVE
107 - West Dyer Trail #8885
108 - West Elk Rim Trail #9446 - PRIMITIVE
109 - Westside Stock Drive Trail
110 - Zigzag Trail #9601
Area Trailheads:
1 - Bald Mountain Tie In Trail #8882
2 - Beaver Ponds Trail #9516
3 - Beckwith Pass Trail #8842
4 - Black Gulch Trail #9574 - MOTORIZED
5 - Black Gulch Trail #9574 - MOTORIZED
Area Trailheads:
1 - Bald Mountain Tie In Trail #8882
2 - Beaver Ponds Trail #9516
3 - Beckwith Pass Trail #8842
4 - Black Gulch Trail #9574 - MOTORIZED
5 - Black Gulch Trail #9574 - MOTORIZED
6 - Cliff Creek Trail #8840
7 - Coal Creek Trail #9452.0
8 - Coal Mesa Trail #9451
9 - Coffeepot Creek Trail #9456
10 - Curecanti Trail #8870
11 - Curecanti Trail #8870
12 - Dyer Creek Trail #8888
13 - Dyer Creek Trail #8888
14 - Hawks Nest Ranch Trail
15 - Inter-Ocean Pass Trail #8890
16 - Inter-Ocean Pass Trail #8890
17 - Lamborn Trail #8894
18 - Lion Gulch Trail #9536
19 - Little Mill Trail #9455 - MOTORIZED
20 - Little Robinson Trail #8850
21 - Lowline Trail #9438
22 - Mill Castle Trail #9450
23 - PIburn Trail #8880
24 - Rainbow Lake Trail #9449
25 - Soap Creek Trail #9443
26 - South Dyer Trail #8714
27 - Sun Park South Trail
28 - Swampy Trail #9439
29 - Three Lakes Trail #8843
30 - Through Line Trail #8860
31 - Through Line Trail #8860
32 - Trail #8875
33 - Trailhead
34 - West Beaver Road Trail
35 - West Elk Rim Trail #9446 - PRIMITIVE
36 - Westside Stock Drive Trail
Area Campgrounds:
1 - Lost Lake Campground-Paonia RD
2 - Soap Creek Campground - Gunnison RD