The Powderhorn Wilderness protects a vast stretch of flat alpine tundra

Most San Juan peaks are steep and jagged, but the Powderhorn Wilderness, northeast of Lake City, is different. It spreads across the broad Cannibal and Calf Creek plateaus, which the agencies describe as one of the largest, least disturbed areas of flat alpine tundra in the contiguous United States.

The Powderhorn is shared land. The Bureau of Land Management manages most of it, and the Gunnison National Forest manages a smaller southern share. Below the tundra, the country drops into sagebrush meadows dotted with small lakes, including the Powderhorn Lakes.

Several trailheads reach the wilderness from different sides. The Forest Service lists the Powderhorn Park Trailhead, reached by forest road, as a southern entry, and the agency pages give directions for the others. Once you cross the wilderness boundary, wilderness rules apply: no motors and no bikes, and the agencies may post other restrictions, so check before you go.

Alpine tundra looks tough but is fragile. The low cushion plants can take decades to recover from a footstep off-trail, so stay on the path where one exists, and camp on durable ground. Weather up here is exposed, with little shelter from wind or lightning, so plan to be off the open plateau in the afternoon.

For trailhead directions, current conditions, and wilderness rules, check the BLM and Gunnison National Forest Powderhorn pages.