Uncompahgre Wilderness

For other uses, see Uncompahgre (disambiguation).
Uncompahgre Wilderness
Location within Colorado (red)
LocationHinsdale / Ouray / Gunnison counties, Colorado, USA
Nearest cityGrand Junction, CO
Coordinates38°6′16″N 107°28′42″W / 38.10444°N 107.47833°W / 38.10444; -107.47833[1]
Area102,721 acres (415.70 km2)
EstablishedJanuary 1, 1980
Governing bodyU.S. Forest Service
U.S. Bureau of Land Management

The Uncompahgre Wilderness[3] (formerly called the Big Blue Wilderness) is a U.S. Wilderness Area in southwest Colorado comprising 102,721 acres (415.70 km2). Elevation in the Wilderness ranges from 8,400 feet (2,600 m) to 14,309 feet (4,361 m), at the summit of Uncompahgre Peak.[4][5]

Managed by the Uncompahgre National Forest, it is located approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of the town of Lake City and some 10 miles (16 km) east of the town of Ouray.

The area is named for Uncompahgre Peak, which at 14,309 feet (4,361 m) is the highest peak in the San Juan Mountains. The Wilderness includes one other prominent fourteener, Wetterhorn Peak at 14,015 feet (4,272 m).

  1. ^ "Uncompahgre Wilderness". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ Benson, Maxine (1994). 1001 Colorado Place Names. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-7006-0632-7.
  3. ^ Pronounced /ʌnkʌmˈpɑːɡreɪ/ ⓘ.[2]
  4. ^ "Uncompahgre Wilderness". Wilderness.net. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  5. ^ "Uncompahgre Wilderness Area". Colorado Wilderness. Retrieved August 12, 2012.