Unit 741 is a La Plata and Hinsdale County subunit covering portions of the Weminuche Wilderness—the largest wilderness area in Colorado at nearly 500,000 acres of high San Juans country. Elevations climb from about 8,000 feet in the lower drainage benches near Bayfield and Durango to over 14,000 feet on the dramatic San Juan crest, including Mount Eolus, Sunlight Peak, Windom Peak (the Chicago Basin trio), and a parade of high peaks reaching toward the Continental Divide. The terrain is genuine wilderness high country: aspen and Gambel oakbrush on the lower benches, Douglas fir and Engelmann spruce on the mid-slopes, dense subalpine spruce-fir with aspen pockets on the higher reaches, and alpine tundra with rocky cirques, talus slopes, and high meadow systems above 11,500 feet treeline. The Animas, Pine, Vallecito, Florida, and Los Pinos Rivers all head in the unit. Mule deer and elk hold the timbered benches and high meadows; bighorn sheep work the high crags; black bear is excellent. San Juan National Forest dominates with the Weminuche Wilderness covering enormous chunks of the high country (motorized prohibited—boots and horses only). Trailhead access comes from Durango (Animas River, Hermosa Creek), Bayfield (Vallecito Reservoir, Los Pinos), and the Pine River drainage. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad provides legendary access into the Chicago Basin via the Needleton flag stop—a unique entry method. Durango is full service for fuel, food, lodging, processors, and gear; Bayfield is smaller but has gas and food. Cell service is fair near towns and gone in the wilderness. Pack-outs from the Weminuche are legendary brutality; horse hunters have a real advantage and most successful hunters use them.