On the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park are the first of many dams across the Colorado River forming several lakes around Granby, Colorado. Arapaho National Recreation Area contains five reservoirs, the largest of which is Lake Granby (but not including Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain Lake). Also nearby, Monarch Lake is the starting point for multiple trails into the Indian Peaks Wilderness. Despite its proximity to the Denver metropolitan area, this untamed country is home to a variety of wildlife including moose, martens, and mountain lions, as well as the river otter and ouzel (or dipper) we saw during our January visit.
Highlights
Lake Granby, Monarch Lake, Meadow Creek Reservoir, Roaring Fork Falls, Willow Creek Reservoir, High Lonesome Trail, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
Must-Do Activity
The largest reservoir in Arapaho National Recreation Area is Lake Granby, an area popular with snowmobilers and ice fisherman in the winter. Summer is also a good time to visit when the lakes are unfrozen and available for boating, swimming, and other water sports. That’s when backpackers on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail prefer to come through here.
Best Trail
Snowshoers looking for some quiet can drive to the eastern end of Lake Granby and hike a mile to Monarch Lake on a road that is closed during the winter months. Throughout the year, Monarch Lake is the starting point for multiple trails that climb into the high elevations of the Indian Peaks Wilderness, plus the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail.
Instagram-worthy Photo
Under a blanket of snow, there is a majestic view from Monarch Lake looking at the Arapaho Creek Valley.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
During the summer, day-use fees apply at portions of Arapaho National Recreation Area, like Monarch Lake and boat launches.
Road Conditions
The road back to Monarch Lake and many others are closed seasonally due to heavy snow accumulations.
Camping
Campgrounds on the lakes fill up in the summer and even the dirt roads around the west entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park can be jam-packed with dispersed campers.
Arapaho National Forest is managed jointly with Roosevelt National Forest and Pawnee National Grassland in northern Colorado. Easily accessible from Interstate 70 west of Denver, the National Forest is best known for its many ski resorts. Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Evans) Highway and Guanella Pass Scenic Byway provide access to the high country in the summer when a rainbow of wildflowers bloom, both above and below treeline.
Highlights
Arapaho National Recreation Area, Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Evans), St. Mary’s Glacier, Guanella Pass Scenic Byway, Devil’s Thumb Lake, Berthoud Falls, Ute Peak, Boardwalk Trail, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
Must-Do Activity
Located just west of Denver, the Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Evans) Highway (the highest fully-paved road in North America) provides access to the rarely-seen world above 14,000 feet in elevation. Online reservations are now required before you show up, so be sure to click to include a stop at Mt. Goliath Research Natural Area, which provides an interpretive hike through a forest of long-lived Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine trees. Keep your eyes sharp for bighorn sheep and mountain goats along the road once you hit the switchbacks around Summit Lake. While the Crest House is no longer in business near the summit, you can still park there and walk the remaining one-hundred feet to the top of the 14,264-foot peak for unsurpassed views.
Best Trail
The easiest way to access the aptly-named Never Summer Wilderness is from the Kawuneeche Valley in Rocky Mountain National Park. You can backpack the 18-mile loop of Baker Gulch to Bowen Gulch in either direction, but keep an eye out for moose as we saw six along the way! High elevation dwellers like yellow-bellied marmots and pikas were also abundant along the trail, which enters Routt National Forest on the west side of Fairview Mountain.
Watchable Wildlife
Moose and elk can be found throughout the National Forest, but are often easiest to locate around the west entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. Bighorn sheep and mountain goats are known to approach cars on the paved road to the top of Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Evans). During our January visit to Arapaho National Recreation Area we spotted a river otter and ouzel (or dipper, a swimming songbird) in one of the few sections of unfrozen creek.
Instagram-worthy Photo
North of the ski resort town of Winter Park is Fraser Experimental Forest, managed by the U.S. Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station. In winter, roads within Fraser Experimental Forest are closed and turn into routes for cross-country skiers and snowshoers with no entry fee charged.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
A $15 fee is charged per vehicle (online reservation required before arrival, $2 fee even if you use your America the Beautiful pass) to drive the one-way Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Evans) Highway during its short open season. Also during the summer, day-use fees apply at Fraser Experimental Forest and Arapaho National Recreation Area.
Road Conditions
The road to the top of Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Evans) is paved the whole way, but there are plenty of rough dirt roads to explore throughout Arapaho National Forest. The road back to Monarch Lake is closed seasonally in Arapaho National Recreation Area.
Camping
Campgrounds fill up in the summer and even the dirt roads around the west entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park can be jam-packed with dispersed campers. There are some scenic campgrounds around Fraser Experimental Forest near Winter Park, Colorado.
Wilderness Areas
Byers Peak Wilderness
Eagles Nest Wilderness (also in White River National Forest)
Indian Peaks Wilderness (also in Roosevelt National Forest)
Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Evans) Wilderness (also in Pike National Forest)
Never Summer Wilderness (also in Routt National Forest)
Mt. Blue Sky Scenic BywayMountain goatsMt. Goliath Research Natural AreaYellow-bellied marmotView from atop Mt. Blue SkySummit LakeHighway 40 going north towards Winter ParkTiff at Fraser Experimental ForestNever Summer WildernessNever Summer WildernessNever Summer WildernessRaven about the forest
Explore More – When did research begin in Fraser Experimental Forest on the response of conifer species to different harvesting techniques, insect outbreaks, and climate conditions?
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San Gabriel Mountains National Monument was proclaimed on October 10, 2014, by President Barack Obama under the power of the 1906 Antiquities Act and expanded by 105,919 acres ten years later. Located just north of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, about 15-million people live within 90 minutes of this mountain range, which provides 30% of their drinking water. Despite this region’s reputation for sun and surf, the high elevations (topping out at 10,064 feet on Mt. San Antonio) regularly get snow in the winter. The vegetation ranges from chaparral to oak and mixed evergreen forest and is prone to wildfire (see our post on Angeles National Forest for information on recent fires).
Highlights
Angeles Crest Highway, Inspiration Point, Lightning Ridge Nature Trail, Mt. San Antonio, Mt. Baden-Powell, Throop Peak, Silver Moccasin Trail, Gabrielmo National Recreation Trail, High Desert National Recreation Trail, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail
Must-Do Activity
It was a sunny November afternoon at 7,000 feet in elevation on the Angeles Crest Highway (Highway 2), which traverses the steep-sided San Gabriel Mountains that rise above southern California’s infamous smog. The rich odor of incense-cedar trees filled the warm air as we ascended the rocky trail from the historic Big Pines Visitor Center. This soulful smell may be more familiar to you than you think since its wood is commonly used to make pencils. The partially shaded path was lined with interpretive signs that introduced the trees and shrubs growing on this dry, south-facing hillside. Across the narrow valley, a ski resort was cut into the dense stands of conifers on the shady north slope.
Best Trail
The 2,600-mile Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail cuts across much of the National Monument with easy access from Highway 2 at the Lightning Ridge Nature Trail and Grassy Hollow Visitor Center. Other long trails include the Gabrielmo National Recreation Trail and High Desert National Recreation Trail.
Instagram-worthy Photo
Just west on Highway 2 from the Big Pines Visitor Center is Inspiration Point, which looks south at the often smoggy Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Peak Season
Spring and fall
Fees
An Adventure Pass is required to park at many trailheads. The Forest Service also accepts all America the Beautiful Passes, which can be also used at National Park Service sites.
Road Conditions
The paved Angeles Crest Highway cuts through the National Monument and it used to go through to Glendale, but closed due to damage from the 2020 Bobcat Fire.
Camping
There are many campgrounds in Angeles National Forest, but we did not see any great places to do dispersed car camping when we drove through different portions of it (although we did not drive any dirt roads which is where they typically are found).
Wilderness Areas
Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness
San Gabriel Wilderness
Sheep Mountain Wilderness (also in San Bernardino National Forest)
Big Pines Visitor CenterMemorial tower at Big Pines Visitor CenterSteller jayOld fountain at Big Pines Visitor CenterIncense-cedar treesInterpretive signs on the Big Pines TrailOn the Pacific Crest TrailGrassy Hollow Visitor CenterTiff hiking on Lightning Ridge Nature TrailRaven about the forest
Explore More – The movement to preserve the San Gabriel Mountains began in 2003 with what Congresswoman initiating an environmental feasibility report?
Angeles National Forest is registered as a California Historical Landmark since it became the first protected woodland in the state as the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve in 1891. It serves as a major recreation destination north of the Los Angeles metropolitan area with 697 miles of hiking trails, several lakes, and two alpine ski areas. Most of the shrub and tree species are adapted to periodic fire and about one-quarter of the National Forest burned in the 2009 Station Fire and an additional 115,796 acres in the 2020 Bobcat Fire.
Angeles Crest Highway (Highway 2) cuts through the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, established in 2014. Coming from the east, a good place to start is the Big Pines Visitor Center or the Grassy Hollow Visitor Center, both of which have short interpretive trails with signs identifying local species. Further west, Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial andMonument (est. 2019) commemorates the tragedy that cost at least 431 people their lives in 1928. Watch in the coming weeks for blog posts specifically detailing these two National Monuments.
Best Trail
Across from Inspiration Point on Highway 2, there is a parking lot for Lightning Ridge Nature Trail. The half-mile loop trail offers great panoramas of the surrounding mountains. It even includes a portion of the 2,600-mile Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Along the trail, my wife and I stopped to sniff the orange, platy bark of a Jeffrey pine for its pleasant vanilla scent, which brought back memories of our time spent living in California.
Watchable Wildlife
On our November visit, we first saw a western gray squirrel with an incredibly poofy tail atop the Big Pines Visitor Center. On the Big Pines Interpretive Trail, we spotted dark-eyed juncos and Steller jays flitting about. Despite its proximity to the city, there are even black bears, mountain lions, and bobcats in this National Forest. You are more likely to come across coyotes, gray foxes, or mule deer.
Instagram-worthy Photo
Many species commonly found in this National Forest are endemic to this region and grow nowhere else on Earth, including Coulter pine (famous for its massive pinecones that weigh up to 11 pounds).
Peak Season
Spring and fall
Fees
An Adventure Pass is required to park at many trailheads. The Forest Service also accepts all America the Beautiful Passes, which can be also used at National Park Service sites.
Road Conditions
The paved Angeles Crest Highway cuts through San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and it used to go through to Glendale, but closed due to damage from the 2020 Bobcat Fire.
Camping
There are many campgrounds in the National Forest, but we did not see any great places to do dispersed car camping when we drove through different portions of it (although we did not drive any dirt roads which is where they typically are found).
Wilderness Areas
Cucamonga Wilderness (also in San Bernardino National Forest)
Magic Mountain Wilderness
Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness
San Gabriel Wilderness
Sheep Mountain Wilderness (also in San Bernardino National Forest)
Joshua trees growing the National ForestTiff hugging a Jeffrey pineDark-eyed juncoAngeles Crest Highway at Inspiration PointLightning Ridge Nature TrailScott and Tiff on Lightning Ridge Nature TrailView of Angeles Crest Highway from Lightning Ridge Nature TrailLightning Ridge Nature TrailPicnic area at Grassy Hollow Visitor CenterCottonwood leaves turning in the fallFire damageRaven about the forest
California black oak, canyon live oak, California walnut, serviceberry, western mountain-mahogany, California coffeeberry, cup-leaf ceonothus, flannel bush, Parry’s manzanita
Explore More – How long are the Gabrielino and High Desert National Recreation Trails?
Allegheny National Recreation Area was created by Congress in 1984 under the Pennsylvania Wilderness Act. It is managed as three separate parcels of land within Allegheny National Forest. The first is named Cornplanter after an Iroquois warrior and leader during the American Revolution and it has two boat launches and no developed trails on the federal lands west of the Allegheny Reservoir. The second is Tracy Ridge to the east of the reservoir, which we will discuss below. Farther south, the third parcel is the Allegheny Front on the east side of the Allegheny River from Charlie Run to South Slater Run, bordered on the west by Highway 62.
Highlights
Willow Bay Recreation Area, Tracy Ridge Hiking Trail System, North Country National Scenic Trail
Must-Do Activity
Tracy Ridge is easily accessible from scenic State Highway 321 and it has an extensive system of hiking trails, including a 10-mile section of the North Country National Scenic Trail. Further north, Willow Bay Recreation Area (day-use fee) is the most developed portion of Allegheny National Recreation Area. The waters of the Allegheny Reservoir between Cornplanter and Tracy Ridge are also considered to be part of the National Recreation Area with three developed boat-in campgrounds (fee).
Best Trail
In addition to the Tracy Ridge Hiking Trail System, the undeveloped Allegheny Front parcel contains a three-mile segment of the Tanbark Trail. These areas are popular with hunters, so remember to wear fluorescent clothing during hunting seasons.
Instagram-worthy Photo
While having lunch near the dock in Willow Bay Recreation Area, we saw a bald eagle, a red-tailed hawk, ravens, and a flock of Canada geese.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
There is an entrance fee at Willow Bay Recreation Area, but it is half price with an America the Beautiful pass. Even if you hike in to Hopewell and Handsome Lake Campgrounds on the shores of the Allegheny Reservoir, you need to pay the overnight camping fee. Based on the signs, we think that backpacking in Tracy Ridge is free.
Road Conditions
We did not come across any unpaved roads while driving through Allegheny National Recreation Area, but they probably exist.
Camping
Willow Bay Recreation Area and Tracy Ridge have drive-in campgrounds, plus Hooks Brook, Hopewell, and Handsome Lake are accessible by boat. Dispersed camping is allowed for no more than 14 consecutive days at one site and not within 1500 feet of the Allegheny Reservoir. The same goes for backpacking sites on the Tracy Ridge Hiking Trail System where hanging bear bags or using bear-proof containers is recommended.
Willow Bay Recreation AreaWillow Bay Recreation AreaAllegheny ReservoirWillow Bay Recreation AreaAllegheny ReservoirRed-tailed hawkAllegheny ReservoirCampground at Willow Bay Recreation Area
Explore More – When it is completed, how long will the North Country National Scenic Trail be in its entirety?
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