Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2008 - (Page 28) Road Trips and Natural Attractions The Pawnee Buttes ©Willard Clay/Jupiter Images Colorado’s Much of Colorado is open to the public. Golden expanses of National Grassland, forested mountains of pine, slickrock canyons and 100,000-acre-plus roadless areas can all be enjoyed and savored any time of year, often without a fee. ✽ Here’s a quick rundown on these national and state lands. Public Lands attraction showcases rock formations akin to the sharp coral beds of an ocean floor. 3) Drive the Flat Tops Trail Scenic and Historic Byway in the White River National Forest, connecting Meeker to Yampa, to view a saturation of autumnal color. 4) Make use of the well-laid snowmobiling trails in the San Juan National Forest, and travel deeper into the woods than just skiing or snowshoeing would allow. MORE ONLINE! Find out more at ©Jupiter Images National Forests and Grasslands Open to public and private ventures, national forests and grasslands are established not only to provide recreating opportunities, but also to ensure good stewardship of the land. Ranchers and ski resorts, among others, are able to use the land and its resources in a sustainable manner. But most of all, outdoor enthusiasts are also enamored with these lands as hiking, camping and hunting opportunities are incredibly prolific. Five must-see wildernesses: 1) Take the nontechnical climb to the top of Mount Bierstadt (shown above), a 14,060foot peak in the varied terrain of the Mount Evans Wilderness Area. 2) Stand in awe of the second-tallest peak in Colorado, Mount Massive (14,421 feet), in the Mount Massive Wilderness Area. The highest peak, Mount Elbert (14,440 feet), can be seen nearby. 3) Use your cunning and skill to track and watch herds of elk and deer in the Lost Creek Wilderness Area. Four must-see national forests and grasslands: 1) Hiking around the Pawnee Buttes in Pawnee National Grassland, where pronghorn are often seen, darting in herds at the base of these grand buttes. 2) Visit the Wheeler Geologic Area in Rio Grande National Forest. Once a national monument (but not any more because of its remote location), this backcountry www.fs.fed.us Wilderness Areas Open only to hikers and horses, wilderness areas prohibit any kind of mechanized travel, including bicycling and ATVing. The true backcountry camper will delight in primitive sites and the absence of noise — save for the twitter of birds, the gurgling of a mountain creek or the solitude of your thoughts. 28 1-800-Colorado | www.colorado.com http://www.fs.fed.us http://www.colorado.com
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