Colorado River Valley
From its headwaters in the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park, the Colorado River meanders south through a spectacular wildlands complex before carving through Glenwood Canyon and heading west toward Utah.
Hidden Secion
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Wilderness
Many public lands in the Colorado River Valley are being managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to protect their wilderness values, though they are not permanently protected. These include the Castle Peak and Bull Gulch Wilderness Study Areas, Pisgah Mountain, and the lands surrounding Deep Creek, which is being considered for a Wild and Scenic River designation.
Wildlife
The elevational gradients from the river bottom to the heights of the Flat Tops allow elevational movement and migration for numerous plant and animal species and provide a variety of important habitats for greater sage-grouse, Peregrine falcons, bald eagles, mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain lions and more.
Water
The Colorado River is often called the lifeblood of the West, and the headwaters region is critical for natural and human communities across the entire southwestern United States. In the Colorado River Valley, the river sustains Eagle County’s ranching heritage and is home to native fish species like the Colorado Cutthroat trout. Its lush riparian areas provide habitat for hundreds of species of birds and mammals.
If You Visit
You might enjoy camping beneath cottonwood trees on the banks of the mighty Colorado River. In the morning, you could head to the Cottonwood Island boat ramp for a relaxing flat water float, or take your fishing rod for a hike up to the remote and scenic Hack Lake at the edge of the Flat Tops.
Explore the Wild For Good Landscapes
Protect what you love. Act today.
Proactive work to protect our local public lands is more important than ever. Please join us in this important work. Together, our community can keep our treasured public lands and waters…Wild for Good.
