Rawah Wilderness Trails

Rawah Wilderness Trails

Beginning just north of Cameron Pass on CO 14, the Rawah Range immediately reaches its pinnacle at 12,951-foot Clark Peak, and then gradually descends into the dense lodgepole pine forests of the Medicine Bow Mountains at the Wyoming state line. The range marks the northern terminus of Colorado’s Front Range, and like much of the Front Range, the granite peaks and ridges of the Rawahs owe their sweeping valleys and abundant lakes to the action of glaciers. The crest of the range marks the western boundary of the wilderness; immediately adjacent (on the western flank) lies the 70,000-acre Colorado State Forest, of which perhaps half is roadless, de facto wilderness. Streams in the Rawahs form the Laramie River, which flows due north. Forest ecosystems reflect the range’s descent in elevation, parallel with the Laramie River, from south to north. At the Rawah’s southern end, spruce-fir forest dominates, including many areas determined to be old growth. Continuing to areas lower in elevation, the spruce-fir ecosystem gives way to dense stands of lodgepole pine that blanket the range’s gentler slopes. As is common with lodgepole pine forests, the fire history of this portion of the wilderness is one of large conflagrations. This trail guide includes descriptions of Blue Lake, Montgomery Pass, Clear Lake, Island Lake, Rawah Lakes, West Branch/Rawah Lakes/Camp Lake Trail, Link Trail/Medicine Bow Trail/Mcintyre Trail, and Link Trail to Blue Lake.

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