The South San Juan Wilderness is a

U.S. Wilderness Area The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas is coordinated by the Na ...

located in the

San Juan National Forest The San Juan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering over 1,878,846 acres (2,935.7 sq mi, or 7,603.42 km²) in western Colorado. The forest occupies land in Archuleta, Conejos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma ...

, east of

Pagosa Springs The Town of Pagosa Springs ( Ute language: Pagwöösa, Navajo language: Tó Sido Háálį́) is a home rule municipality that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only incorporated municipality in Archuleta County, Colorado ...

, in southern

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

. The last known

grizzly bear The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horri ...

in Colorado was killed in the wilderness in 1979. Some believe that it is still home to a few grizzlies, but there is no sufficient evidence yet to prove this.

Recreation

The wilderness area contains: 32 lakes; many peaks above , the highest of which is

Summit Peak ''For the mountain in California formerly named Summit Peak, see Mount Ina Coolbrith.'' Summit Peak, elevation , sits on the Continental Divide in southern Colorado. The mountain is the highest point in the South San Juan Wilderness. See also ...

at 13,307 feet; and of hiking trails, that includes of the

Continental Divide Trail The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (in short Continental Divide Trail (CDT)) is a United States National Scenic Trail with a length measured by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition of between the U.S. border with Chihuahua, Mexico a ...

References

Wilderness areas of Colorado San Juan National Forest San Juan Mountains (Colorado) Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Parks in Archuleta County, Colorado Protected areas established in 1980 Protected areas of Archuleta County, Colorado Protected areas of Conejos County, Colorado 1980 establishments in Colorado {{Colorado-protected-area-stub