About the Mount Evans Wilderness

Special protection for the Mount Evans area began 1956 with the designation of the approximately 5,880 acre Abyss Lake Scenic Area under the precursor of the Wilderness Act, the “U-Regulations” of 1939. This was followed in 1980 by the creation of the 74,401 Mount Evans Wilderness under the Colorado Wilderness Act. The north half of the Wilderness lies on the Clear Creek Ranger District of the Arapaho National Forest and the south half is on the South Platte Ranger District of the Pike National Forest. It is home to two fourteeners. Mount Evans at 14,264 feet and Mt. Bierstadt at 14,060 feet), and the Mt. Evans Scenic Byway, which forms a non-wilderness corridor to the top of Mt. Evans. Elevations range from 8,600-14,264 feet. Approximately 120 miles of trails provide access to the Wilderness.

Geology, Wildlife, Flora and Fauna

Geologically, the Mount Evans Wilderness is primarily made up of three different granites, Mount Evans granite at and to the north of the summit, Silver Plume granite to the northwest, and Pikes peak granite to the southeast. The terrain is characterized by steep, glacier-cut cirques surrounding Mounts Evans and Bierstadt, and down-valley from the cirques, by glacially deposited moraines. The area offers glacier-carved landscapes with steep, rock walled glacial basins (cirques) containing alpine lakes, and ridges of glacial deposits (moraines) left behind as the ice receded. The Wilderness contains large areas of alpine tundra above tree line, as well as small regions of arctic tundra, which are rare south of the Arctic Circle. Unlike typical Colorado alpine tundra, which is dry and brittle once the snow recedes, arctic tundra holds numerous small pools of water. Ancient 2,000 year old Bristlecone pines, bighorn sheep and mountain goats are common sights.

History

The earliest inhabitants of the area were the Arapaho and Cheyenne, who often used the Clear Creek/Guanella Pass route to migrate from the plains into the South Park area. A number of sites have been recorded in this corridor. As trappers and prospectors moved into the Clear Creek valley, the Indians moved more to the south into the less heavily settled Platte canyon. There was one incident in June of 1859 somewhere high on the west slopes of Mount Evans or Mount Bierstadt. A group of three prospectors, headed from Clear Creek over into South Park, were attacked by Indians. Two were killed and the third escaped east over the top of Evans. The shallow lake east of the summit of Guanella Pass is sometimes called Deadmans Lake.

Mount Evans itself was named for John Evans, for Colorado's second territorial governor, who’s family also owned a ranch in the Bear Creek valley just east of the Wilderness. Neighboring Mount Bierstadt was named for Albert Bierstadt, a well-known landscape painter of the American west in the latter half of the 1800’s. He originally named Mount Evans for his wife, Rosalie, but it was later renamed Mount Evans in 1870 and a nearby 13,575’ summit was named Mount Rosalie. In 1918, the National Park Service's Second Annual Report included a proposed National Park to include Mount Evans. The present road to the Evans summit was completed in 1927. In 1942 the Crest House at the parking lot near the summit was constructed by Denver Mountain Parks. The Crest House burned on the first day of September, 1979 and was never rebuilt.

Although there was a great deal of mining in the Clear Creek valley there is very little evidence of any within the Wilderness. There are no patented claims within the boundary except one near Lower Chicago Lake, which was acquired by the Forest Service. Historical uses within the present Wilderness, aside from recreation, were limited to logging and some grazing. Remnants of old sawmills and evidence of logging can be found up South Chicago Creek, Deer Creek and Scott Gomer Creek (named for an early logger in that valley).