Colorado Wilderness Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill would designate more than 30 new wilderness areas across Colorado, adding hundreds of thousands of acres to the National Wilderness Preservation System. This is the highest level of federal land protection, meaning these areas must stay wild and undeveloped.
• The new wilderness areas span many parts of the state, from the Dolores River Canyon (about 56,206 acres) to the Little Book Cliffs (about 29,045 acres). Some existing wilderness areas, like Maroon Bells-Snowmass and Flat Tops, would also grow larger.
• Livestock grazing already happening in these areas can continue, military helicopter training flights can keep going, and competitive running events in the Redcloud Peak and Handies Peak areas are allowed to continue.
• No new dams, reservoirs, canals, wells, hydropower projects, or other water infrastructure can be built inside these wilderness areas after the bill becomes law. However, existing water facilities can still be accessed, used, and repaired.
• The bill does not create any new federal water rights and does not change existing water rights. Water rights would be handled through Colorado state law, with the Secretary working cooperatively with the Colorado Water Conservation Board.