Gunnison Gorge Wilderness
Gunnison Gorge Wilderness is a 17,784-acre wilderness area in Montrose County, Colorado. It rises from about 5,128 to 8,156 ft. The nearest town is Lazear, 2.9 miles away in a straight line.
Gunnison Gorge Wilderness map
Gunnison Gorge Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
Agency fire restriction orders for this unit are not tracked here yet. Restrictions change with the season, so check the current orders before any campfire, stove or target shooting.
County and local burn bans may also apply on private, state, or county land nearby. On federal land, follow the land manager's order; off it, follow the strictest county or local rule that applies. When both touch your trip, obey both.
Common questions
- Lazear, CO is the nearest town, 2.9 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). The wilderness.net page for this area places it about 7 miles northeast of Montrose.
- The highest ground in Gunnison Gorge Wilderness is about 8,156 ft, and its lowest about 5,128 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model).
Who manages Gunnison Gorge Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLM | 17,784 | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | Montrose Public Lands Center, 970-240-5300 |
Getting to Gunnison Gorge Wilderness
- Lazear, CO is the nearest town, 2.9 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-30)
- The wilderness.net page for this area places it about 7 miles northeast of Montrose.
- Access roads named on the area's wilderness.net page: Falcon Road, Delta County Road, Peach Valley Road, Chukar Road, County Road 28.
Position, roads and vehicle notes: wilderness.net page for Gunnison Gorge Wilderness, accessed 2026-09-30. Roads and conditions change; check with the managing office before driving in.
Trailheads at Gunnison Gorge Wilderness
- Chukar Trailhead (0.01 mi outside the boundary, 5,972 ft), at 38.6135, -107.8359
- Chukar Geologic Trailhead (0.02 mi outside the boundary, 6,133 ft), at 38.6110, -107.8316 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Ute Trailhead (0.02 mi outside the boundary, 6,537 ft), at 38.6824, -107.8641
- Bobcat Trailhead (0.04 mi outside the boundary, 6,265 ft), at 38.6300, -107.8701
- Duncan Trailhead (0.08 mi outside the boundary, 6,152 ft), at 38.6487, -107.8668
- Sunset Rocks Trailhead (0.71 mi outside the boundary, 6,041 ft), at 38.5866, -107.8548
Trailhead locations: BLM recreation sites layer , accessed 2026-09-30. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Trailheads mapped on OpenStreetMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License , accessed 2026-09-30. The extract used here, with distances from the boundary: osm-trailheads-co.json. Where an agency layer lists the same trailhead, the agency's point is shown instead.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Gunnison Gorge Wilderness
- Red Canyon canyon
Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-30.
Public lands next to Gunnison Gorge Wilderness
- BLM unitGunnison Gorge Wilderness lies inside Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area.
- National Park Service unitGunnison Gorge Wilderness borders Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park.
- Wilderness areaGunnison Gorge Wilderness borders Black Canyon of the Gunnison Wilderness.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Other wilderness areas in Colorado
- wilderness.net (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- www2.census.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- gis.blm.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- openstreetmap.org (accessed 2026-09-30)
The sentences on this page are generated by software from the sourced records above, not written by hand. How this content is made.