The Never Summer Wilderness rises on the east edge of North Park

On the east side of North Park, the Never Summer Wilderness climbs from forest up to alpine tundra. The Forest Service says Congress set aside its roughly 21,090 acres in 1980, and the wilderness straddles the boundary with Rocky Mountain National Park. It is managed on the Routt National Forest side, and the neighboring Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests look after the adjoining ground to the east.

Wilderness is the strictest kind of public land. The Forest Service does not allow motor vehicles, bicycles, carts, or chainsaws inside the boundary, and there are limits on group size. The idea is to keep the place wild and quiet.

Getting there from the Jackson County side takes planning. The roads that approach the wilderness are mostly rough, high-country routes, and the Forest Service warns that some are not made for passenger cars, so four-wheel drive is a good idea. Other access roads close to motor vehicles for part of the year, so a road that is open in August may be gated in spring.

This is high, remote country with fast-changing weather. Check the trail, road status, and current closures on the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest alerts page at fs.usda.gov before you head out.