Cache la Poudre Wilderness Trails

Cache la Poudre Wilderness Trails

At the time of its designation in 1980, the Cache La Poudre Wilderness Area was one of colorado’s least controversial. Colorado’s conservation community joined with the forest service and the congressional delegation in identical recommendations for the area’s boundaries. And who could argue with the rugged beauty of the two river canyons that define this small, wild gem of montane forest country? With an elevation below 9,000 feet, the Cache La Poudre supports forests of douglas fir as well as ponderosa and lodgepole pine. Two deep canyons define the area. The northern boundary of the wilderness is delineated by the main fork of the Cache La Poudre River and co 14. The heart of the wilderness surrounds 9 largely inaccessible miles of the little south fork of the Poudre, designated by congress as a national wild and scenic river in 1986 along with the entire Poudre main stem above Poudre Park. The two rivers incise deep meanders into the granite bedrock typical of the front range. South-facing slopes generally remain snow-free all winter long, while protected north-facing slopes hold pockets of snow and ice into spring. This Trail Guide includes descriptions of Mount Mcconnel Trail, and Little South Fork.

See all Hiking in Colorado