Never Summer Wilderness

Fire restrictions

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.

Who manages Never Summer Wilderness

Getting to Never Summer Wilderness

• Grand Lake, CO is the nearest town, 5.1 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-30)

Trailheads at Never Summer Wilderness

• Jack Creek Trailhead (0.26 mi outside the boundary, 11,121 ft), at 40.4039, -105.9327
• Silver Creek Trailhead (0.5 mi outside the boundary, 10,287 ft), at 40.4597, -105.9180
• Coyote Valley Trailhead (0.52 mi outside the boundary, 8,822 ft), at 40.3446, -105.8585 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
• South Fork Michigan Parking Lot (0.56 mi outside the boundary, 9,583 ft), at 40.4433, -105.9797
• Bowen-Baker Trailhead (0.57 mi outside the boundary, 8,848 ft), at 40.3548, -105.8576 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
• Illinois River Trailhead (0.76 mi outside the boundary, 9,974 ft), at 40.3728, -105.9775

Trailhead locations: Forest Service 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 Never Summer Wilderness

• Howard Mountain summit about 12,777 ft
• Bowen Mountain summit about 12,500 ft
• Mount Stratus summit about 12,494 ft
• Blue Lake lake

Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-30. Summit elevations measured on the USGS 3DEP elevation model, which can read a few feet under a surveyed summit height.

Public lands next to Never Summer Wilderness

• National forest Most of Never Summer Wilderness lies inside Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.
• National forestNever Summer Wilderness borders Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.
• National Park Service unitNever Summer Wilderness borders Rocky Mountain National Park.
• Wilderness areaNever Summer Wilderness borders Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness.
• Wilderness areaNeota Wilderness is 2.5 miles away, straight line between the two boundaries.

Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.

Other wilderness areas in Colorado

• Platte River Wilderness (Jackson County)
• Powderhorn Wilderness (Hinsdale County)
• Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness (Summit County)
• Raggeds Wilderness (Gunnison County)
• Rawah Wilderness (Larimer County)

Colorado wilderness areas