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Colorado Parks
- Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness
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Wilderness...the word has different meanings to different people,
but here in Rocky Mountain National Park, wilderness is something
special. Of the park's approximate 265,770 acres, only 2,917
acres has been officially designated by Congress as Wilderness,
yet an additional 248,464 acres has been recommended as wilderness
since 1974. But what does this mean? In 1964, the Congress of the
United States passed a law known as the Wilderness Act, which created
a National Wilderness Preservation System to provide an "enduring
resource of wilderness" for future generations. President Lyndon
Johnson signed the Wilderness Act into law on September 3, 1964
Wilderness, according to the Wilderness Act, "...in contrast
with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape,
is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community
of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who
does not remain." The Wilderness Act goes on to describe wilderness
as a place "retaining its primeval character and influence" where
there are "outstanding opportunities for solitude". When the Wilderness
Act established the National Wilderness Preservation System, most
of the wilderness areas created under the Act were located in the
west. Today, there are designated Wilderness areas in 48 states.
Rocky Mountain National Park's Wilderness Vision
Rocky Mountain National Park is recognized internationally
as one of the world's most outstanding natural treasures.
As a national park and wilderness, the Park's meadows, forests,
alpine peaks and tundra, and everything associated with them, must
be protected in perpetuity. Park managers must carefully care for
these natural and cultural resources. Visitors should be educated
about all that wilderness has to offer in order to understand and
appreciate wilderness resources and values. It is RMNP's vision
to be a world leader and showcase for wilderness protection, management,
and education.
A recommendation to officially designate much of Rocky Mountain
National Park as Wilderness, under the Wilderness Act of 1964, was
first introduced to Congress by President Nixon on June 13, 1974.
The original recommendation consisted of 239,835 acres to be designated
as immediate Wilderness, and 479 acres to be managed as Potential
Wilderness Additions. Since 1974, legislation for official designation
has been introduced several times which included modifications to
the recommended boundaries and acreage due to changes in land ownership,
changes in the place of diversion or storage for water rights and
several boundary adjustments. In 1980, a park boundary change resulted
in 2,917 acres (1,181 hectares) of existing wilderness within the
designated Indian Peaks Wilderness being transferred to Rocky Mountain
National Park.
The park's wilderness areas offer outstanding opportunities for
solitude and recreation. Most park trails are located in recommended
wilderness giving visitors the opportunity to explore and enjoy
this unique resource. Extra care should be taken when exploring
Rocky Mountain National Park's wilderness. Visitors who wish to
experience these areas should prepare their trips well in advance
and should practice the principles of Leave No Trace so that the
park's wilderness is protected for future generations of adventurers.
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Jim T. Walters
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Colorado Springs, CO 80918
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T. Walters
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