La Garita Wilderness

The La Garita Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the La Garita Mountains of southern Colorado. The 129,626-acre (524.58 km²) wilderness established in 1964 in Gunnison and Rio Grande National Forests includes segments of the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. At 14,014 feet (4,271 m), San Luis Peak is the highest point in the wilderness area.^[2][3][4]

La Garita Wilderness
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
View of the La Garita Wilderness area from the parking lot at the terminus of Forest Road 787
Location	Hinsdale / Saguache / Mineral counties, Colorado, United States
Nearest city	Monte Vista, CO
Coordinates	38°00′N 106°53′W[1]
Area	129,626 acres (524.58 km2)
Established	1964
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service

One entrance to the wilderness area is via Forest Road 787 from Saguache Park and Cochetopa Park off State Highway 114 west of Saguache, Colorado. There is a parking lot for visitors to the wilderness area at the south end of FS 787. Cochetopa Park may also be entered from the east over Cochetopa Pass via Saguache County Road NN14.

Climate

La Garita Peak, 13,710 ft (4,179 m),^[5] is the eponymous peak of the La Garita Wilderness and the La Garita Mountains. La Garita Peak has an Alpine climate (Köppen ET). There is no weather station at the summit, but this climate table contains interpolated data for an area around the summit.

Climate data for La Garita Peak 37.9342 N, 106.8651 W, Elevation: 13,579 ft (4,139 m) (1991–2020 normals)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	23.6 (−4.7)	23.1 (−4.9)	28.0 (−2.2)	33.2 (0.7)	41.7 (5.4)	53.1 (11.7)	58.1 (14.5)	55.8 (13.2)	50.1 (10.1)	40.4 (4.7)	30.2 (−1.0)	23.8 (−4.6)	38.4 (3.6)
Daily mean °F (°C)	11.9 (−11.2)	11.1 (−11.6)	15.5 (−9.2)	20.4 (−6.4)	29.1 (−1.6)	39.6 (4.2)	44.7 (7.1)	43.1 (6.2)	37.4 (3.0)	28.1 (−2.2)	18.9 (−7.3)	12.4 (−10.9)	26.0 (−3.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	0.1 (−17.7)	−0.8 (−18.2)	3.1 (−16.1)	7.7 (−13.5)	16.4 (−8.7)	26.0 (−3.3)	31.4 (−0.3)	30.4 (−0.9)	24.8 (−4.0)	15.8 (−9.0)	7.7 (−13.5)	1.0 (−17.2)	13.6 (−10.2)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	2.36 (60)	2.77 (70)	3.24 (82)	3.12 (79)	2.24 (57)	1.11 (28)	3.73 (95)	4.23 (107)	3.97 (101)	3.32 (84)	2.95 (75)	2.79 (71)	35.83 (909)
Source: PRISM Climate Group[6]

References

1. "La Garita Wilderness". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
2. "La Garita Wilderness". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
3. "La Garita Wilderness". Wilderness.net. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
4. Warren, Scott S. (2002). Exploring Colorado's Wild Areas: A Guide for Hikers, Backpackers, Climbers, X-C Skiers, and Paddlers (2nd ed.). Seattle, Washington: The Mountaineers. ISBN 0898867843.
5. summitpost.org. "La Garita Peak". Retrieved November 3, 2023.
6. "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved November 3, 2023. To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.