The Hiking and Camping Guide to Colorado's Flat Tops Wilderness. Al Marlowe
and countless others decorate the wilderness. Fireweed’s pink blossoms spring up along cuts and bare areas. Paintbrush adds reds to plain green weed patches in small openings in the timber. By August, yellows predominate. Daisies, sunflowers, and even dandelions color the hillsides. Whatever the season, throughout the summer, you’ll find a variety of colors.
Climate
Because of its location, the Flat Tops receives an abundance of precipitation, making the region an angler’s paradise. The plateau is the first obstacle any eastward-moving weather system encounters in this part of the state. The topography creates its own weather. Prevailing winds are from the west. Air moving from the west is forced to ascend to cross the wilderness, cooling in the process. Cooling condenses the water vapor, producing clouds that soon reach their dew point, bringing precipitation. This is a frequent year-round occurrence on the Flat Tops.
Winter snowfalls are abundant. Often, by early November, the plateau is inaccessible. The mantle of white rarely recedes before the following summer, in June or even July.
Summer afternoon thundershowers are common. The day may begin with clear skies but by noon, the first clouds form. Moments later, lightning flashes and thunder resounds across the plateau. The shower that follows may be brief but intense or it can be a prelude to several days of rain. Be aware, though, that snow can fall at any time of year, even in summer.
While the region does receive more than its fair share of precipitation, summer also brings pleasant warm, dry periods. Even at 11,000 feet, the days can be hot. Daytime temperatures range from the 40s or 50s to the 80s. Lows can vary from below freezing to the 50s.
Big game hunting seasons begin with archery in late August and extend through November. Though August and September are still summer on the calendar, the prudent hunter will prepare for the extremes. The first significant snow may fall in September, though it usually melts off in a few days. Jack Frost makes his first appearance then, too, bringing the first fall color to the high country.
October frequently delivers a lull in weather patterns. Deer and elk hunters often find the day balmy in spite of nighttime freezes. It’s still wise to prepare for severe conditions, though. Late in the month, the season has progressed enough that snow begins accumulating. Shorter days and cooler temperatures mean less melting. Soon, the plateau will be covered in white, inaccessible until the following summer.
The wilderness is closed half the year to all but snowshoers and cross-country skiers. And while high lakes begin to open in May, most trails are still drifted shut. A trip to one of the early opening lakes requires skis or snowshoes. As a general guideline, areas below 9,000 feet are usually accessible by Memorial Day. In June, plan your trips to locations below 10,000 feet and by July, the entire wilderness should be open though you may find scattered snowdrifts. Of course, all this is dependent on the winter snowfall and exposure. South facing areas tend to open first. In dry years, the wilderness may open earlier.
Access
The Flat Tops Wilderness is accessed from four highways: Interstate 70 on the south, State Highway 13 on the west, US Highway 40 on the north, and State Highway 131 on the east. From these roads, the towns of Steamboat Springs, Craig, Meeker, Rifle, New Castle, Glenwood Springs, Dotsero, Yampa, Phippsburg, and Oak Creek offer access to the wilderness.
Interstate 70 runs east–west across Colorado. It is the primary access route to the Flat Tops from Denver, east of the Rockies, and from Grand Junction to the west, 30 miles from the Utah line. The road follows the Colorado River along the south side of the White River Plateau.
From the town of Rifle, go north on State Highway 13 from Interstate 70. This two-lane, paved road takes you along the Grand Hogback on the west flank of the plateau to the town of Meeker, 41 miles from Rifle. Meeker is a good place to fill your gas tank, buy groceries, or a fishing/hunting license before venturing to the wilderness.
US Highway 40, while it doesn’t traverse the plateau, does give access to the wilderness from the north. Craig is 48 miles north of Meeker. On the west side of Craig, State Highway 13 goes south to Meeker from US 40.
From Steamboat Springs, 42 miles east of Craig on US 40 and at the west side of Rabbit Ears Pass, State Highway 131 goes south to join Interstate 70 at Wolcott. State Highway 131 passes through the communities of Oak Creek, Phippsburg, and Yampa, each of which gives access to the eastern areas of the wilderness.
Kremmling, a small ranching community, lies 52 miles southeast of Steamboat Springs and 112 miles west of Denver, also on US 40. It doesn’t give access to the Flat Tops, but 6 miles west of town, take State Highway 134 over Gore Pass to connect with State Highway 131. Yampa is 9 miles north of the 131/134 junction.
In addition to the major state and federal all-weather roads, there is a network of county roads accessing the wilderness. From New Castle, 11 miles west of Glenwood Springs on Interstate 70, a gravel road, the New Castle–Buford Road, takes you north to Buford. In the White River National Forest, it’s Forest Road 244 and in Rio Blanco County, its designation is County Road 17.
Rio Blanco County Road 8 heads east from Meeker and gets you into the north side of the wilderness. Between Meeker and the Lost Creek Guard Station east of Buford, the road is paved for a distance of about 25 miles. At the forest boundary, the road is well-maintained gravel. The road takes you over Ripple Creek Pass and on to the towns of Oak Creek, Phippsburg, and Yampa, another 40 miles east. From Yampa, Routt County Road 7 on the south side of town leads west for 17 miles to Stillwater Reservoir over narrow, rough pavement, which changes to gravel at the forest boundary.
Eagle County Road 301, also named the Colorado River Road, is a good gravel road that follows the Colorado River. It takes off from State Highway 131 near the community of McCoy. This road provides wilderness access from Derby, Sweetwater, and Deep Creek Roads.
Forest Road 600 leaves Eagle County Road 301 at the Colorado River, 1.5 miles north of Interstate 70. This road is the only access to the south side of the wilderness, 39 miles from the blacktop.
Road access is dependent both on maintenance and season. Federal and state highways are maintained in all weather conditions. County roads are cleared where year-round access is needed. Roads that are usually, but not always, opened by Memorial Day are Rio Blanco County Road 8 over Ripple Creek Pass, Routt County Road 7 to Stillwater Reservoir, and Garfield County Road 150 up Sweetwater Creek. Forest Road 600, on the plateau leading to the southeast part of the wilderness, is usually open by July 4, sometimes earlier. It’s best to check with the White River National Forest supervisor at Glenwood Springs, (970) 319-2670, before making travel plans.
2
REGULATIONS AND COMMON SENSE
Along with the freedom to travel wherever you like, there’s a responsibility. Most of us care about a quality wilderness experience. It’s the few who don’t care that make regulations necessary. Fortunately, most are commonsense practices that will make your Flat Tops visit more enjoyable. Flat Tops Wilderness regulations are available from Forest Service offices in Glenwood Springs, Eagle, Rifle, Meeker, and Yampa, and are posted at all trailheads.