Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
AROUND STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
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Stagecoach State Park
Sixteen miles south of Steamboat Springs via US 40, Hwy 131 and Routt County Rd 14,
Stagecoach State Park
( reservation office 303-470-1144; 25500 County Rd 14; tent sites $10-20; )
is the
nearest inexpensive camping to Steamboat Springs. The park is on the edge of a large
reservoir in a good location for trips into the Flattops Wilderness, Sarvis Creek Wilderness
and Blacktail Mountain.
In summer campers entertain themselves with fishing and a modest, 8-mile network of
hiking trails, while speedboats zoom along the water. In winter, camping is limited (rangers
clear snow from four sites) and activities in the park include snowmobiling, Nordic skiing
and ice fishing.
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Mount Zirkel Wilderness
One of the five original wilderness areas in Colorado, Mt Zirkel Wilderness is an untamed,
roadless expanse dotted with icy glacial lakes, granite faces and rife with opportunities for
isolated backcountry hiking and camping. It's intersected by the Continental Divide and
two major rivers, the Elk and the Encampment, both of which are being considered for pro-
tection under the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act.
Boldly rising from the center of the area is the 12,180ft
Mount Zirkel
, named by famed
mountaineer Clarence King to honor the German petrologist with whom he reconnoitered
the country in 1874. The area is
huge,
and this can provide a place to get off the grid, even
during Colorado's busiest seasons.
The most popular entry points are in the vicinity of Steamboat Springs, though it's also
approachable from Walden or Clark. Detailed maps and information on hiking, mountain
biking, fishing and other activities in this beautiful area are available at the USFS Hahns
Peak Ranger Office.
