South San Juan Wilderness is a protected mountain backcountry in southern Colorado, within San Juan National Forest east of Pagosa Springs. Encompassing 158,790 acres, it was designated by Congress in 1980 as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Known for rugged high country, it includes many summits above 13,000 feet, with Summit Peak reaching 13,307 feet. The area also contains 32 lakes and about 180 miles of trails, including 42 miles of the Continental Divide Trail. It is an important headwaters region for the Conejos, San Juan, and Blanco rivers, and it is also remembered as the place where Colorado’s last known grizzly bear was killed in 1979.