Outdoors and wildfire - Mountains
Handies, Redcloud and Sunshine sit on BLM high country south of Lake City
South of Lake City, several 14ers rise on land the Bureau of Land Management protects as wilderness study areas, including Handies Peak, often called the highest BLM-managed land outside Alaska.
Published June 10, 2026 - Last verified June 11, 2026
Not all of Colorado’s high peaks sit on national forest land. South and southwest of Lake City, several 14,000-foot summits rise on ground the Bureau of Land Management protects as wilderness study areas.
Handies Peak, near 14,048 feet, anchors the Handies Peak Wilderness Study Area. The BLM describes it as the highest point of BLM-managed land outside Alaska. Nearby, the Red Cloud Peak Wilderness Study Area holds Red Cloud Peak and Sunshine Peak, two more 14ers, along with many summits above 13,000 feet and small alpine lakes.
These areas are managed by the BLM Gunnison Field Office. The standard high-country cautions apply: thin air, loose rock, and storms that build fast on summer afternoons. The access roads are rough and often need a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle, and snow can block them well into early summer.
Because this is BLM land rather than a developed park, services are few. There are no staffed gates, and help can be far away. Carry your own water, layers, and a way to navigate, and be ready to turn back.
For current access, road status, and the rules that protect these study areas, check the BLM’s Gunnison Field Office pages before heading out.