Uncompahgre Wilderness, US Wilderness Area in southwestern Colorado.

Uncompahgre Wilderness is a large protected mountain region in southwestern Colorado featuring alpine lakes, streams, and varied plant and animal habitats. The terrain includes steep valleys, rocky peaks, and forests throughout the area.

The area was officially designated as protected wilderness by the federal government in 1980 and added to the National Wilderness Preservation System. This designation has kept the landscape free from development and motorized access.

The name Uncompahgre derives from a Ute word, and the wilderness was formerly called the Big Blue Wilderness. The Robin Redbreast Gold Mine claims were staked in 1938 by Marjorie Miller's father, more than 50 years before the 1980 wilderness designation, and remain valid under the General Mining Act of 1872.

Access is on foot or horseback using marked trails and campsites near streams and water sources. Summer and early fall offer the best visiting conditions when higher elevations are snow-free.

The Robin Redbreast Gold Mine, owned by Robert and Marjorie Miller of Montrose, holds claims Marjorie's father staked in 1938, over 50 years before the 1980 wilderness designation; the General Mining Act of 1872 preserved them. The Millers say ore would be dug with picks and shovels, hauled by mule teams over existing trails, and larger equipment flown in by helicopter. Environmental groups worry about acid rock drainage.