Wildlife is abundant; while hiking you may see black bear, mountain lion, mountain goat, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, elk, and deer. The mountain wilderness also includes abandoned mountain homesteads and ghost towns, remnants of the original Colorado settlers, who came to the region to mine gold and silver. To protect the unique alpine environment of the Rocky Mountains it is recommended that all hikers practice the principles of Leave No Trace.

Hiking Trails

There is no substitute for experience, all beginning hikers and backpackers should receive some instruction before attempting their first trip. The Colorado Mountain Club trains thousands of hikers annually on how to safely and responsibly hike and backpack, and their experienced trip leaders lead hundreds of trips into the backcountry of Colorado each year. Most Central Colorado towns have local guides that will take you into the the backcountry for a day-hike or multi-day backpack tip. Some of these guide services include equipment or it can be rented.

General Backcountry Safety--This training program was prepared by Charley Shimanski of the Mountain Rescue Association Education Committee. It is an introductory course in backcountry safety for those with little or no experience in mountainous and backcountry terrain. This file is in Adobe Acrobat (PDF). You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file. If you need Adobe Acrobat Reader, click the image below to download it now.

(All backcountry recreationist should read this. It could save your life in an emergency.)

With ever-increasing numbers of people discovering the deep personal rewards of hiking and backpacking in the mountains, the very environment that we so love risks imperilment. It is absolutely essential that all backcountry travelers respect the fragile terrain, and ever-consciously exercise a minimum impact approach so future generations can have the same rewarding experience we enjoy today. The following is a list of sound environmental practices, as recommended by the American Alpine Club:

1. Observe local regulation and guidelines of Federal agencies or private owners.

2. Help to prevent trail erosion. Cutting across switchbacks creates serious erosion problems. Making duplicate paths should be avoided. Trails which cut across a slope where the angle is low will cause less erosion than those which cut across it where it is steep.

3. Protect the trees. Continuous use of belay and rappel anchors can damage and even kill trees. Tree climbing should not be a substitute for routes on rock.

4. Protect the alpine meadows. In general, the lower forested areas or the rocky alpine areas are more tolerant of use than the delicate sub alpine meadows and are therefore preferable for campsites.

5. Pack a stove. In many alpine and sub alpine areas, downed wood is in short supply. The lower dead branches of alpine trees are part of the natural scene and should be allowed to remain. Blackened campfire rings left in place are a sign of human impact on the wilderness environment; on the other hand, dispersing fire rings will damage the environment if many users are doing it.

6. Avoid polluting. Soap pollutes streams and lakes. Excrement should be buried a short distance into the top soil where natural processes will decompose it. All trash and garbage should be packed out. If it is buried, animals will dig up the soil to get at it.

7. Pack out litter left behind by thoughtless users, who unfortunately will always be with us.

8. Use restraint in the employment of climbing aids such as pitons and bolts which can permanently deface the rock and degrade the route for subsequent climbers.

CentralColorado.com recommends anyone interested in hiking and backpacking in the Colorado Rockies visit these web sites. Here you will find a wealth of information about the world's mountains and backcountry travel throughout the US and in other countries across the globe. Most of these web sites were used by CentralColorado.com in the preparation of this web page.

	American Alpine Club The American Alpine Club is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has represented mountaineers and rock climbers for almost a century. Since its inception in 1902, the AAC has been the only national climbers organization devoted to: Exploration and scientific study of high mountain elevations and polar regions of the world; promotion and dissemination of knowledge about the mountains and mountaineering through its meetings, publications and libraries; conservation and preservation of mountain regions and other climbing areas; and representation of the interests and concerns of the American climbing community.
	The Colorado Mountain Club The Colorado Mountain Club is organized to: unite the energy, interest, and knowledge of the students, explorers, and lovers of the mountains of Colorado; collect and disseminate information regarding the Rocky Mountains in behalf of science, literature, art, and recreation; stimulate public interest in Colorado's mountain areas; encourage the preservation of forests, flowers, fauna, and natural scenery; and render readily accessible the alpine attractions of this region.
	Hiking in Colorado Provides information on a full range of subjects about hiking and backpacking in Colorado.
	Mountain Rescue Association The Mountain Rescue Association is a volunteer organization dedicated to saving lives through rescue and mountain safety education. More than 80 units, in the US, Canada, and other countries provide unpaid professional mountain search and rescue at no direct cost to the taxpayers.

Return to top