La Garita Wilderness Trails

La Garita Wilderness Trails

One of Colorado's lesser-known wilderness areas, the La Garita Wilderness is, in fact, one of the state’s original five. Designated by Congress in the 1964 Wilderness Act, La Garita was enlarged considerably in 1980 and 1993 so that today it encompasses almost 35 miles of the Continental Divide in the northern San Juan Mountains. The 1980 addition more than doubled the size of the original 44,000-acre wilderness through the inclusion of the Mineral Creek area on the west and the Lake Fork drainage of Cochetopa Creek. In 1993, Congress supplemented the wilderness with the Wheeler Geologic Area and the virgin spruce-fir forests of Wason and Silver parks. La Garita’s gentle alpine terrain offers refuge to thriving herds of elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep. Hikers are likely to encounter elk in the open alpine bowls along the divide. Large expanses of untracked forest blanket La Garita’s lower elevations, providing habitat for pine marten and other wilderness-dependent species. The primeval spruce and fir forests of Wason Park and Silver Park on the south slopes of the La Garita Mountains comprise a singularly important undisturbed habitat. Dedicated conservationists struggled more than 20 years to see these virgin forests added to the wilderness, overcoming the opposition of local logging communities and recreational-vehicle enthusiasts. This trail guide includes descriptions of Machin Lake, San Luis Peak, Wason Park Via Farmers Creek, Wheeler Geologic Area via East Bellows Trail, Mineral Creek/Spring Creek, Halfmoon Pass, and Colorado Trail.

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