The West Elk Wilderness is remote and closed to bikes and motors

West of Gunnison and south of Kebler Pass lies the West Elk Wilderness, one of the larger wilderness areas in Colorado. It is the kind of place people picture when they think of the backcountry: big, quiet, and remote.

Because it is designated wilderness, a specific set of rules applies. For ordinary visitors, federal wilderness rules generally bar motor vehicles, motorized equipment, bicycles, and carts. Travel is on foot, horseback, or with a wheelchair used as a necessary mobility device. Federal law also leaves narrow room for emergency and administrative uses.

The area is large and lightly visited outside of fall hunting season, with hundreds of miles of trails, volcanic rock formations like The Castles, and named peaks such as West Elk Peak. Its remoteness is part of the appeal, but it also means help is far away.

“National forest” and “wilderness” are not the same thing. Plenty of forest roads nearby welcome bikes and vehicles, but wilderness rules begin at the mapped boundary. Carry a map and a compass or GPS, because trails here are not always signed and the country is easy to misjudge.

Before a trip, check the West Elk Wilderness pages on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest site for current access, trailheads, and rules.