Discover 69 wilderness areas--including seven new ones--showcasing everything from mountains to canyons, rushing rivers to desert landscapesA comprehensive guide to Colorado's wild areas Totally updated and revised Includes 74 maps and 90 photosMuch has changed in the landscape of Colorado's wilderness designations since the first edition of this book appeared in 1992. At the newly designated Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, visitors peer into the depths of this narrow canyon that drops 2,000 feet to the Gunnison River below--and some choose to follow rugged backcountry routes down to the inner canyon. A trail in Spanish Peaks Wilderness, established in 2000, leads up one of these twin sentinels that rise above the edge of the high plains. Nestled at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and standing up to 750 feet high, the dunes of the newly enlarged Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve are the tallest in the Western Hemisphere. Other recent additions to Colorado's protected lands include the Castle Peak Wilderness Study Area, Bull Gulch Wilderness Study Area, San Luis Hills Wilderness Study Area, and Demaree Canyon Wilderness Area. Colorado is one of the nation's primary adventure-travel destinations, and both visitors and locals will find this book the most all-inclusive reference available to the state's wildness areas. From the state's high peaks to its spectacular canyons and deserts, Exploring Colorado's Wild Areas provides detailed information on seasons, flora and fauna, geology, history and activities.

Since the passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964, Congress has designated 41 wilderness areas in Colorado, totaling some 3.4 million acres ranging from desert sagebrush to alpine crags. In addition, other undeveloped areas and national parklands have been proposed for wilderness status. In its newly revised second edition, The Complete Guide to Colorado's Wilderness Areas continues to serve as the foremost guide to these magnificent wild places.

Considers S. 702, S. 1863, S. 1864.

The Colorado Plateau is America’s western treasure, home to the country’s highest concentration of national parks, monuments, wilderness areas, and state parks, and a near-endless bounty of wild, stunning landscape. Discovering the Colorado Plateau will explore this region through beautiful maps, full-color photography, and detailed descriptions of the area’s geography, history, and geology, as well as signature activities that encapsulate the best each locale has to offer. By purposefully shifting the focus away from the national parks, this book introduces readers to the various public lands and protected areas that are as exciting and wonderful as any of the major parks. Unlike any other book published recently about the Plateau, this book not only acts as a source of great information and imagery, but as a practical guide and a true celebration of one of America’s most beautiful and endangered lands.