 Colorado
Parks - Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness
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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Cherise
Selley -
CRS, GRI, ABR
"From My Family To Yours ... Bringing Families Home."
2139 Chuckwagon Rd. Suite 210
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80919
Email: cherise@selleygroup.com
Office: (719) 598-5101
Fax: (719) 598-2352
Toll Free Fax: (866) 766-9044
Mobile: (719) 337-9779
Toll Free: (888) 842-4196
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NOTE: The information contained on this Colorado
Springs real estate website is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Prices, availability
and other information is subject to change without warning. Please check with
your Colorado Springs real estate specialist, Cherise Selley, to verify information.
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