Never Summer Wilderness
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Never Summer Wilderness | |
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| Location | Grand County / Jackson County, Colorado, USA |
| Nearest city | Grand Lake, CO |
| Coordinates | 40°24′9″N 105°54′53″W / 40.40250°N 105.91472°W[1] |
| Area | 21,090 acres (85.3 km2)[2] |
| Established | 1980[2][3] |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
The Never Summer Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located immediately west of Rocky Mountain National Park in the Never Summer Mountains of Arapaho National Forest in northern Colorado. It encompasses an area of 21,090 acres (32.95 square miles) and includes both forest and alpine tundra, with a minimum elevation of 8,900 feet.[2] It is part of the Sulphur Ranger District.[4]
The eastern boundary of the wilderness is shared with Rocky Mountain National Park and runs partly along the Continental Divide.[5][6] This boundary includes eight mountains with elevations above 12,000 feet (3,700 m): Tepee Mountain, Lead Mountain, Mount Cirrus, Howard Mountain, Mount Cumulus, Mount Nimbus, Mount Stratus, and Baker Mountain.[5][6] Of these, Howard Mountain is the tallest, with an elevation of 12,806–12,810 feet (3,903–3,904 m).[7][5]
The Never Summer Wilderness receives large amounts of rain and snow, and runoff from this area provides water to the Colorado River, the North Platte, and the Cache la Poudre.[2] Other water features include the South Fork Michigan River[8] and several lakes, including Bowen Lake, Blue Lake, Ruby Lake, and Parika Lake.[9][8]
The area includes ravines rising above 10,000 feet, most notably Bowen Gulch. Because the ravine acts as a moisture trap, trees in Bowen Gulch are able to grow much larger than they normally would at high elevation. Consequently, Bowen Gulch is home to old-growth spruce and fir trees that are estimated to be 600 years old and measure up to four feet in diameter.[2][10]
