Arapaho - Roosevelt National Forest
Wilderness Areas

The Byers Peak Wilderness was established by Congress in 1993. It encompasses 8,913 acres in the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest in Grand County. Byers Peak was named after William N. Byers, founder of Colorado's first newspaper - the still-published Rocky Mountain News. He was also the first mayor of Hot Sulphur Springs.

Byers Peak Wilderness contains a variety of eco-zones, ranging from low-lying lodgepole pine forest and riparian drainages to alpine tundra over 12,000 feet in elevation. Along with this variety of vegetation and climate comes a wide variety of flora and fauna. On any given day you can see deer, elk, bear, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, the occasional moose, and several species of trout and small rodents. The wilderness also contains two glacial lakes, three major creek drainages and two peaks over 12,500 feet, the highest being Byers Peak at 12,804 feet.

Named for the river that runs at its northern edge, the Cache la Poudre Wilderness was added to the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1980. This 9,400 acre wilderness is characterized by steep, rugged terrain along the Poudre River and the Little South Fork of the Poudre. Elevation ranges from 6,200 feet to 8,600 feet, and the area is accessible most of the year.

Public use is low and only one trail, the Mount McConnel National Recreation Trail, exists in the wilderness. Most travel is accomplished by scrambling and bushwhacking along stream bottoms, on ridges, and along game trails. This wilderness is primarily montane. Ponderosa and lodgepole pine forests dominate the countryside, and mule deer, bear, coyote and mountain lion inhabit the area.

Named for the prominent 12,702 foot peak, Comanche Peak Wilderness was added to the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1980. Elevations within the Comanche Peak Wilderness range from 8,000 to 12,702 feet.

Located in the Roosevelt National Forest, this 67,500 acre wilderness area features forests of lodgepole and ponderosa pine and spruce-fir beneath expanses of alpine tundra. Many scenic trails provide access to this wilderness area that borders the north and east sides of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Wildlife includes elk, moose, mule deer, black bear, mountain lion, coyote, beaver and many smaller mammals. Many species of birds live here, including chickadees, hummingbirds, grey jays, red-tailed hawks, ptarmigan and golden eagles. Lakes and streams are inhabited by cutthroat, brown, rainbow and brook trout. A few of the streams carry the rare and endangered greenback cutthroat trout.

The Comanche Peak Wilderness is becoming very popular with hikers, backpackers and fishermen, and with hunters when it's that time of year.

The Indian Peaks Wilderness Area became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1978. It got its' name from the many peaks within the area that were named after American Indian tribes of the west. The 76,586 acre Indian Peaks Wilderness is located within the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park's southern boundary. The Indian Peaks is one of the most often-visited wilderness areas in the United States.

Permits specifying which back-country zone you intend to stay in are required for all overnight use in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area from June 1 through September 15, annually.

The James Peak area was included into the National Wilderness Preservation System in 2001. James Peak was named for Edwin James, an American physician and botanist who traveled to Colorado on the 1819-20 US Army Expedition led by Major Stephen Long. Mr. James was the first botanist to properly describe many of the plants found in the Rocky Mountains. The 14,000-acre James Peak Wilderness is located within the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Adjacent to the Continental Divide on the eastern slope, the James Peak Wilderness Area includes several peaks over 13,000' and more than a dozen small alpine lakes.

Mount Evans Wilderness was designated by Congress in 1980. The Wilderness now has a total of 74,400 acres within its boundaries. The wilderness area includes two 14,000' peaks and supports alpine tundra, bristlecone pines, bighorn sheep and mountain goats. About 70 miles of hiking trail provide access to the wilderness. Please practice the Leave No Trace principles when in wilderness areas. The Mount Evans Wilderness is west of Denver, Colorado, south of I-70 and north of Highway 285. The highest paved road in North America, Mount Evans Scenic Byway (a fee area), is the only road that accesses the heart of this wilderness area.

As its name says, Never Summer Wilderness gets blasted with large amounts of snow almost year-round that collect on the storm-wracked peaks which offer relatively gentle terrain and bear names that hint at their cloud-kissed heights: Cirrus, Cumulus, Stratus and Nimbus.

Located on the southern end of the Medicine Bow Mountain Range in north central Colorado, the 27,494 acre Rawah Wilderness was designated by the Wilderness Act of 1964. "Rawah" is a Native American term meaning "wild place." The Colorado Wilderness Act of 1980 added an additional 48,800 acres to the Wilderness Area, bringing its total size to 76,394 acres.

Elevations in the Rawah Wilderness Area range from 8,400 to 13,000 feet. The high peaks were carved by glaciers, resulting in spectacular cirque lakes and moraines. There are twenty-five named lakes, ranging in size from 5 to 39 acres. This high alpine area contains the headwaters of the McIntyre, Rawah and Fall Creeks, as well as the Laramie River. The Rawahs are host to mammals such as elk, moose, mule deer, black bear, bighorn sheep, marmot and beaver. There are many species of birds including the red-tailed hawk, white-tailed ptarmigan, golden eagle, raven, Steller's Jay and a variety of warblers living here.

The lakes and streams are filled with lake, cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout. Graylings are also found in here. The Rawah Wilderness is becoming very popular with summer backpackers, hikers and anglers, and also with hunters in the fall.

Congress established the Vasquez Peak Wilderness in 1993. It encompasses 12,986 acres of tundra and spruce/fir forest in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest in Grand County, CO. Vasquez Peak is the highest point in the wilderness at 12,947 feet.

The Vasquez Peak Wilderness is bordered by the Winter Park Ski Area to the north; the Fraser Experimental Forest to the west; Berthoud Pass (Hwy 40) road to the east; and Jones Pass and the Henderson Mine to the south. This high country wilderness sits entirely above 10,000 feet with over half of its area above timberline. There are more than 15 miles of trails across the alpine tundra and only one trail that climbs through a spruce/fir forest. These trails lead up to two small lakes, across six peaks above 12,500 feet in elevation, and above numerous small creeks that source in the high alpine basins.