Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness Area

What was once an area made of homesteads and cattle ranches in now the Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness Area. Designate by Congress in 1993, the wilderness area totals 23,087 acres, some of which lay on the plains of northern Huerfano county and others which rise from 7,600 feet in elevation to 12,347 feet at its peak.

Motorize vehicles are not allowed in the Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness Area, including mountain bikes. The area is reserved for those who travel on foot, and those who do will delight in the varied forests they’ll encounter. In fact, two-thirds of the area is forested and is filled with oakbrush, ponderosa pine, aspen fir, and spruce.

Unusual for Colorado, Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness has no lakes and no towering alpine peaks–and, consequently, few human visitors. Numerous small canyons and sharp ridges are the dominant geological features. A few streams descending from the mountain furnish a habitat for threatened greenback cutthroat trout. With relatively little snow, the area attracts bighorn sheep, elk, and mule deer.

There are 11 miles of trails, all in the northern half of the wilderness. The most popular are Bartlett Trail and Greenhorn Trail.