Gunnison National Forest

Gunnison National Forest encompasses nearly 719,000 acres of diverse high-country terrain across southwestern Colorado, offering exceptional opportunities for outdoor recreation from summer hiking and fishing to winter sports. The forest stretches across multiple ranger districts and includes dramatic geology ranging from alpine meadows and cirque lakes to deep canyons carved by the Gunnison River and its tributaries. Popular destinations include the West Elk Wilderness with over 176,000 acres of pristine backcountry, numerous scenic byways like the Kebler Pass loop offering stunning aspen and wildflower displays, and excellent fly-fishing waters in tributaries like the East River and Taylor River. The forest provides extensive trail networks for day hikers and backpackers, abundant developed campgrounds near key recreation areas, and vast opportunities for dispersed camping throughout its backcountry.