Wilderness Study Areas
"... an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain" (Federal Wilderness Act of 1964)

Wilderness Study Areas, commonly called WSAs, are public land areas over 5,000 acres, which are roadless, relatively undeveloped, and free of permanent improvements. They provide opportunities for solitude, primitive and unconfined recreation, and may contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value. The Bull Gulch and Castle Peak WSAs were analyzed through the Resource Management Planning process completed in 1984 to determine their suitability for wilderness designation by Congress. The BLM wilderness recommendations were submitted to Congress in January 1993. The entire Castle Peak WSA (12,237-acres) and a 5,362-acre portion of the Bull Gulch WSA are not recommended by the BLM for wilderness designation. 9,839 acres in the Bull Gulch WSA are recommended by the BLM for wilderness designation due to outstanding wilderness values. However, Congress is not obligated to accept BLM's recommendations and may designate all or note of the areas as Wilderness. Until Congress decides, the BLM is required to manage the WSAs so as not to impair their suitability for preservation as wilderness.


Recreation

"In...wilderness lies the hope of the world.. Let children walk with nature, let them see the beautiful blending and communions of death and life. as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams.." (John Muir 1838-1914)

WSAs located within the Glenwood Springs Resource Area:

  • Castle Peak
  • Bull Gulch
  • Hack Lake
  • Eagle Mountain
Why have Wilderness Study and Wilderness Areas?

As early as the 19th century, many people were concerned about disappearing natural lands. Recently, with evidence of global warming and other environmental changes, public concern has increased. Wilderness areas:

  • Assure that all wildlands will not disappear.
  • Help maintain gene pools to provide diversity of plant and animal life in our rapidly changing world.
  • Serve as unique and irreplaceable "living laboratories" for medical and scientific research.
  • Places of solitude where people can experience freedom from our fast-paced industrialized society and the crowding of people.
They are places where people can renew the human spirit through association with the natural world.

What you Need to Know

Visit and enjoy the areas but follow the rules

  • Recreation activities such as hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, river running and horseback riding are allowed.
  •  Hunting, fishing, and noncommercial trapping are allowed under state laws.
  •  River running is allowed. Currently in Colorado, only commercial use requires a permit.
  • BLM permits are required for all commercial outfitters operating within a WSA.
  • Hobby rock collecting is allowed by nonmechanical means.
  • Plant collecting is not allowed.
  • Bicycles, hang gliders, two and four wheeled vehicles, mechanized equipment, and aircraft are not allowed.
  • Wheelchairs are allowed.
  • Cutting of standing trees, living or dead, is not allowed.
  • Public land within WSAs cannot be sold, exchanged, or patented.
  • The remains of our past are protected on public lands. Do not deface or remove anything of a historical, archaeological or paleontological nature.
Preserving Wilderness Is Up To YOU!!!

Traveling the Backcountry - Travel quietly and in small groups. Minimize your presence. Visit WSAs during seasons or days of the week when use levels are low. Many of the low elevation WSAs are accessible even in the winter - a beautiful and solitary time of year. Although pets are allowed in most areas, they should be leashed and controlled so they won't disturb wildlife and other people. Where trails exist, stick to those trails, especially on switchbacks and when in cryptogamic soil areas which are common in many of these WSAs. If you must travel cross-country, travel single file to minimize the damage and move across stable, rocky soil, on slickrock or in sandy drainage channels.

Choosing Your Campsite - In heavily-used areas, such as well-established river camps, stay in the areas that have already been impacted rather than introducing new impacts to more pristine areas. If you are kayaking, rafting or canoeing, often the best place to camp is below the high water mark on gravel or sand bars.  By camping in such areas, you'll have very little impact on riparian vegetation along the river.  Note that this will put you within 150 feet from the river, so take precautions when camping and follow Leave No Trace ethics.  When back-packing in remote areas, choose a campsite visually concealed from others, at least 150 feet from any perennial creek or stream to protect water quality and at least 200 yards from any point source water (spring, pond, lake) to avoid blocking access to water by wildlife or livestock.  Locate camps to avoid blocking roads or trails.