The Gunnison National Forest encompasses part of Colorado's central Rockies and includes two peaks over 14,000 feet, as well as 20 peaks over 13,000 feet in elevation.

The combined forests include much of west-central Colorado. It begins in the east at Monarch Pass on the Continental Divide and continues west to the Utah border. The region extends south from the Grand Mesa to the San Juan Mountains. Some of the primary towns surrounded by the forests include Gunnison, Crested Butte, Montrose, Delta, Cedaredge, Hotchkiss, Paonia, Ouray and Telluride.