Mount Zirkel Wilderness
Mt. Zirkel Wilderness is an amazing area covering 160,000 acres in the Routt National Forest in Colorado. It is situated in the Sawtooth Range just north of Steamboat Springs. where you can enjoy elevations from 7,000 feet to 12,180 feet.
The Mount Zirkel Wilderness area is quite rugged and marked by gorgeous large valleys as well as a number of alpine lakes and cirques. The high country of Mt. Zirkel has a 60-mile loop hike through the uncharted terrain.
Access the wilderness area via U.S. highway 40, state highway 14, and other Forest Service Roads such as 129 and 60 (out of Steamboat Springs).
The area boasts a lot of wildlife, including a large elk herd, bald eagles, sandhill cranes, osprey, peregrine falcon, marmots, and bears. Plus you can enjoy more than 150 miles of hiking trails.
Towns in the immediate area include Steamboat Springs, Walden, and Hahns Peak.
A multitude of rivers trickle down from several glacial lakes along this section of Colorado's Continental Divide. In fact, Mount Zirkel and the surrounding lakes look the way they do because of the Pleistocene glaciation that occurred 15,000 years ago.
State fish and game managers make sure several types of trout can be found in these lakes, which is usually carried out every year to ensure high stocks.
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