A view of McCollough Gulch from within the proposed Tenmile Wilderness Area and overlooking the proposed Hoosier Ridge Wilderness Area in the background. photo © Lisa Smith

The White River National Forest is a landscape of national importance, located right here in our own backyard. It is the country's most visited national forest, and along with nearby BLM lands, it straddles an ecologically vital portion of the Upper Colorado River watershed. These public lands contain a critical stretch of a continent-scale wildlife migration corridor while providing core habitat for Colorado's recently reintroduced lynx population. 

Most of the existing designated wilderness in Colorado is of the high-elevation, "rock and ice" variety. Still unprotected are the Hidden Gems targeted in this campaign, which exist at the more ecologically diverse middle elevations and provide some of the most important habitat for wildlife, including imperiled species. Designating these areas as wilderness will add valuable biodiversity to our nation’s wilderness legacy.  Nearly 670,000 acres of pristine national forest and nearby BLM lands are included in the Hidden Gems Wilderness Proposal.

For more information, go to the Hidden Gems web site or take a virtual tour of the Hidden Gems proposed wilderness areas.

For more information about the Hidden Gems or to find out more about how you can make this vision become a reality contact Lisa Smith at 303-405-6707.