Collegiate Peaks Wilderness

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Coordinates: 38°58′10″N 106°29′34″W / 38.96944°N 106.49278°W / 38.96944; -106.49278[1]
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Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
Colorado Springs, CO
Coordinates38°58′10″N 106°29′34″W / 38.96944°N 106.49278°W / 38.96944; -106.49278[1]
Area167,414 acres (677.50 km2)
EstablishedJanuary 1, 1980
Governing bodyU.S. Forest Service

The Collegiate Peaks Wilderness is a 168,000-acre (680 km2) area located in central Colorado between Leadville and Buena Vista to the east and Aspen to the west and Crested Butte to the southwest. Most of the area is in the San Isabel and Gunnison National Forests, with a smaller area in the White River National Forest southeast of Aspen. Most of the area is in northwest Chaffee County with smaller portions in Gunnison, Pitkin, and Lake counties.[2][3][4]

Geography

Colorado with Collegiate Peaks Wilderness in red

The Collegiate Peaks area includes much of the

Continental Divide
at 13,281.

The area is an important watershed for three rivers on both sides of the Continental Divide: the upper Arkansas River, the Gunnison River, and the Roaring Fork River. There are numerous alpine creeks in the area's wide valleys and these are all quite marshy. Snow does not usually begin to melt until May or June and it remains year-round in places on some of the high peaks.

Both the Continental Divide Trail and the Colorado Trail cross the area. The Continental Divide Trail follows the course of the Continental Divide itself with several side spurs. The Colorado Trail passes through the lower eastern portion of the area and crosses Pine Creek, Frenchman Creek and Three Elk Creek all of which drain into the Arkansas River north of Buena Vista.[5]

History

In earlier times the area was inhabited by various people. There are groves of old growth

Utes
who inhabited the area and used the bark from living trees for clothing and food. The area is also dotted with the evidence of mining operations from the last century. In the Pine Creek valley - one of the central valleys between Mounts Oxford, Belford and Missouri to the north and Mt. Harvard and Columbia to the south, there is evidence of an earlier settlement on both sides of the stream comprising four cabins and a horse corral. South of the town of Winfield are the spare remains of the town of Harrison at the base of Mt. Huron.

Collegiate Peaks Wilderness sign

The Collegiate Peaks borders several other Colorado wilderness areas including:

Hunter-Fryingpan, and Mount Massive. It was designated by congress as a wilderness area in 1980 in accordance with the provisions of the Wilderness Act
of 1964.

Regulations/Prohibitions

References

  1. ^ "Collegiate Peaks Wilderness". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  2. ^ "Collegiate Peaks Wilderness". Wilderness.net. Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  3. ^ "Collegiate Peaks Wilderness". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  4. ^ "Collegiate Peaks Wilderness". Colorado Wilderness. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  5. ^ Tessmer, Marty. "Hike Higher in Colorado's Collegiate Peaks". Backpacker Magazine. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  6. ^ "Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area Prohibitions" (PDF). USDA Forest Service. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
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