Collegiate Peaks
The Collegiate Peaks area encompasses a 168,000-acre wilderness area
located in central Colorado, positioned between Leadville and Buena
Vista to the east, Aspen to the west, and Crested Butte to the
southwest. The majority of wilderness is found in the San Isabel
and Gunnison National Forests, with a smaller area in the White River
National Forest just southeast of Aspen.
Recreation opportunities in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness include
hiking, backpacking, mountain climbing, fishing and horseback
riding. Elevations in this wilderness area range from 9,500 to
over 14,000 feet. Expansive alpine tundra, high lake basins,
glacial river valleys and beautiful forests compose the
landscape. Be prepared for rapidly changing weather, as
lightning, rain, hail and snow are common in the summer season.
Snow can occur in any month of the year in the Collegiate Peaks and
those traveling into the wilderness should plan well.
The headwaters of the Arkansas, Gunnison, and Roaring Fork rivers drain
from the Continental Divide within this wilderness. The peaks
within this region make up a portion of the Sawatch Mountain Range, the
highest in the state. The Collegiate Peaks Wilderness may very
well possess the highest average elevation of any wilderness in the
contiguous 48 states. Eight peaks exceeding 14,000 feet are found
here, including the state's third and fifth highest summits, Mount
Harvard and La Plata Peak.
The popularity of climbing fourteeners, combined with proximity to
Denver and the Front Range, means the Collegiate Peaks receive crowds
on summer weekends. For more solitude, plan to visit during the
week or in the fall to enjoy the wide u-shaped valleys that open to
breathtaking mountain scenery. Dozens of alpine lakes sparkle at
the feet of striking rocky cirques, along with glacier-sculpted high
mountain splendor.
The Collegiate Peaks name comes from the many peaks within the
wilderness named after famous universities. The eight peaks over
14,000 feet are Huron Peak (14,005), Missouri Peak (14,067), Mount
Oxford (14,153), Mount Yale (14,196), Mount Belford (14,197), La Plata
(14,340) Mount Harvard (14,420) and Mount Columbia (14,073 feet).
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