North of Creede and southeast of Gunnison are tens of thousands of acres of national forest and wilderness lands. There is a stable herd of Rocky Mountain bighorns in this area.

The drainages near San Luis Peak have been a focus over recent years. Weather can be unpredictable in La Garita Wilderness so be prepared both physically and mentally for big changes. Trailheads will allow access by foot or horseback into backcountry wilderness.

The 14,000-foot San Luis Peak is surrounded by numerous peaks over 13,000 feet that provide headwaters to drainages such as Chochetopa, Willow and Spring Creeks that connect with Rio Grande or Gunnison Rivers miles downstream. Chochetopa Hills and Saguache Park are noted areas. Open foothills provides a wide expanse for cattle grazing. Some of the creeks have carved deep canyons as they wind out of the mountains.

Alpine basins are prominent along the Continental Divide with wildflowers, mosses and lichens providing most of the ground cover. Mountain slopes have spruce, fir and lodgepole pine at higher elevations with aspen, ponderosa pine, cottonwood and willows below.

Rio Grande National Forest contains the 129,626-acre La Garita Wilderness Area and provides tens of thousands of acres of public lands. Major roads close to the area are Colorado Route 114 and 149. County Roads leading to known bighorn areas are 14DD, 46, 503, 1400, Y16 and U18. This unit is more accessible by forest service and county roads than others in the San Juan Mountains.

National Forest provides a number of improved campgrounds. La Garita Wilderness has travel and camping restrictions listed online. The communities of Creede and Lake City, offer limited motels, cafes and fuel options. Gunnison, along US Highway 50, has a great variety of motels, restaurants, fuel options, banks, grocery stores, medical facilities and a regional airport. W cafe, Twisted Fork and Garlic Mikes are all good places to visit for food.