NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



243 



sists of Lake Cheesman and 10,000 acres 

 of land. The area is fenced to exclude 

 stock and owned by the City of Denver. 

 Forests of yellow pine and Douglas 

 fir. Accessible (a) from Denver, via 

 Sedalia-Decker Springs Road. Fair ac- 

 commodations at Decker's. 



Rio Grande National Forest {Colorado) 



This is an enormous basin forming the 

 headwaters of the Rio Grande river and 

 including vegetative tj'pes from practi- 

 cally desert at the edge of the San Luis 

 Valley to vast areas of almost perpetual 

 snow-fields and alpine meadows above 

 the line of spruce timber. A very large 

 part of the area is used for grazing, 

 especially of sheep, which winter on 

 ranches in the Valley. The yellow pine 

 tj^pe is sparsely represented in the foot- 

 hills, while lodgepole pine is entirely 

 absent. A peculiar feature of the 

 forest is the occurrence of blue spruce 

 (Picea pungens) in mixture with Douglas 

 fir, far removed from the usual stream- 

 bed habitat. 



Pole Mtn. Bighorn Sheep Breeding 

 Ground. About 3000 acres closed to 

 sheep-grazing to permit development of 

 bighorn sheep. Reached by pack trip 

 of about 50 mi. from Creede (D. & R. 

 G. W.). 



Elk Mountain and Goose Creek Elk 

 Ranges. These two separate areas 

 cover about 10,000 acres, and are closed 

 to grazing of domestic stock. Several 

 hundred elk range here. Both are 

 reached from Wagon Wheel Gap. (D. & 

 R. G. W.) by saddle horse, about 15 

 mi. Summer hotel only at Wagon 

 Wheel Gap. 



Wheeler National Monument. An 

 area of 400 acres containing unusual 

 "toad-stools" and other peculiar erosion 

 forms of interest to geologists. Reached 

 by saddle-horse from Creede (D. & 

 R. G. W. R. R.) about 15 mi. 



Wagon Wheel Gap Streamflow Ex- 

 perimental Area. The two watersheds 

 which have been under study since 1910 

 comprise 400 acres. After preliminary 

 study one was denuded in 1919-20 to 



determine the effect of forest removal 

 on streamflow. This will also present 

 excellent opportunity for the study of 

 plant succession. Only limited sheep 

 grazing is to be permitted on denuded 

 watershed; none on other. Expected 

 visitors may usually be cared for at 

 Station headquarters, 2 mi. from Wagon 

 Wheel Gap. (D. & R. G. W.) Ref: 

 "First Results in Streamflow Experi- 

 ment, Wagon Wheel Gap. Colo., Carlos 

 G. Bates, Jour. Forestry, Vol. XIX, 

 No. 4, pp. 402 to 408. 



Routl National Forest (Colorado) 



Comprises a forest of which the lower 

 portions, once occupied by Douglas fir, 

 have been so badly ravaged by fire as 

 to result in extensive stands of aspen. 

 Large areas at higher elevations are 

 covered by lodgepole pine and Engel- 

 mann spruce which has been little ex- 

 ploited. The herbaceous and shrubby 

 vegetation is very diverse and charac- 

 teristic of western slope conditions. 



Deer, bear, elk and bighorn sheep 

 occur in unusual numbers, owing to the 

 undeveloped nature of the country. 

 Elk winter within a few miles of Steam- 

 boat Springs. Whitefish are found in all 

 branches of Bear River. 



San Isabel National Forest (Colorado) 



The accessible timber was cut in the 

 early days. Fires have left scars over 

 the entire forest. A large part of the 

 Sangre de Cristo Range contains virgin 

 timber types, as well as remarkable 

 alpine lakes and rugged scenery. 



Most lakes are stocked with fish. 

 Good acconnnodations can be found at 

 various towns adjacent and several 

 summer hotels located within the For- 

 est. The D. & R. G. W. R. R. passes 

 along the north end, with branches into 

 Wet Mountain ^'alley and on the west 

 and south sides into San Luis Valley. 

 Rangers at Wetmore, Rye, Gardner, 

 Westcliffe, Mirage and La Veta. 



Reserved areas: City of Florence 

 Watershed, 8000 acres on Newlin Creek, 



