standing. They’re also a potential hazard in high wind.
Flat Tops visitors may question the reason for so many dead standing trees in the wilderness. As with all living things forests have finite lives. The life span of a forest may be measured in centuries, even millennia rather than years. A forester with the Colorado State Forest Service informed us that a healthy forest should have 60 to 150 trees per acre. As the number increases, trees compete for nutrients from the soil and for sunlight. Trees that are stressed become susceptible to disease, which leads to infestation of tree-killing insects such as pine and ips beetles. Unless a beetle-killing freeze occurs, they will survive to lay eggs on other nearby trees.
Unhealthy and dead trees are also susceptible to fire, whether caused by lightning or by a careless visitor. Several major fires have occurred in the Flat Tops in the past few decades. In 1979 the lower Derby Creek drainage burned. The Ute Creek fire of 1993 destroyed many acres of trees near the head of the creek on the northwest side of the wilderness. Lightning strikes caused fires in 2002 that burned the west slopes along the North Fork of the White, spreading to the Big Fish Lake area, and Trappers Lake. A second fire burned the Lost Lakes area south of Ripple Creek Pass. We can’t do anything about naturally caused fires but visitors can exercise caution with cooking and campfires.
Aspen groves are scattered all over the Flat Tops, especially at the lower elevations. They are a special attraction in the fall. Then, entire slopes will appear as a solid yellow or gold. Along streams and lakes, willows grow profusely. Sage also is found, usually on low elevation slopes.
Because of plentiful moisture, grasses are lush on the Flat Tops. Interspersed in the grasses is a multitude of wildflowers. Hidden among openings in the aspens, you’ll find columbines, the state flower.
Color varies with the season. July brings a variety of species and colors. Red, pink, white, blue, and yellow flowers often appear as a multicolored shag carpet. Blue flax, red elephants, lupines, and countless others decorate the wilderness. Fireweed’s pink blossoms spring up along cuts and bare areas. Paintbrush adds reds to plain green weed patches in small openings in the timber. By August, yellows predominate. Daisies, sunflowers, and even dandelions color the hillsides. Whatever the season, throughout the summer, you’ll find a variety of colors.
Climate
Because of its location, the Flat Tops receives an abundance of precipitation, making the region an angler’s paradise. The plateau is the first obstacle any eastward-moving weather system encounters in this part of the state. The topography creates its own weather. Prevailing winds are from the west. Air moving from the west is forced to ascend to cross the wilderness, cooling in the process. Cooling condenses the water vapor, producing clouds that soon reach their dew point, bringing precipitation. This is a frequent year-round occurrence on the Flat Tops.
Winter snowfalls are abundant. Often, by early November, the plateau is inaccessible. The mantle of white rarely recedes before the following summer, in June or even July.
Summer afternoon thundershowers are common. The day may begin with clear skies but by noon, the first clouds form. Moments later, lightning flashes and thunder resounds across the plateau. The shower that follows may be brief but intense or it can be a prelude to several days of rain. Be aware, though, that snow can fall at any time of year, even in summer.
While the region does receive more than its fair share of precipitation, summer also brings pleasant warm, dry periods. Even at 11,000 feet, the days can be hot. Daytime temperatures range from the 40s or 50s to the 80s. Lows can vary from below freezing to the 50s.
Big game hunting seasons begin with archery in late August and extend through November. Though August and September are still summer on the calendar, the prudent hunter will prepare for the extremes. The first significant snow may fall in September, though it usually melts off in a few days. Jack Frost makes his first appearance then, too, bringing the first fall color to the high country.
October frequently delivers a lull in weather patterns. Deer and elk hunters often find the day balmy in spite of nighttime freezes. It’s still wise to prepare for severe conditions, though. Late in the month, the season has progressed enough that snow begins accumulating. Shorter days and cooler temperatures mean less melting. Soon, the plateau will be covered in white, inaccessible until the following summer.
The wilderness is closed half the year to all but snowshoers and cross-country skiers. And while high lakes begin to open in May, most trails are still drifted shut. A trip to one of the early opening lakes requires skis or snowshoes. As a general guideline, areas below 9,000 feet are usually accessible by Memorial Day. In June, plan your trips to locations below 10,000 feet and by July, the entire wilderness should be open though you may find scattered snowdrifts. Of course, all this is dependent on the winter snowfall and exposure. South facing areas tend to open first. In dry years, the wilderness may open earlier.
Access
The Flat Tops Wilderness is accessed from four highways: Interstate 70 on the south, State Highway 13 on the west, US Highway 40 on the north, and State Highway 131 on the east. From these roads, the towns of Steamboat Springs, Craig, Meeker, Rifle, New Castle, Glenwood Springs, Dotsero, Yampa, Phippsburg, and Oak Creek offer access to the wilderness.
Interstate 70 runs east–west across Colorado. It is the primary access route to the Flat Tops from Denver, east of the Rockies, and from Grand Junction to the west, 30 miles from the Utah line. The road follows the Colorado River along the south side of the White River Plateau.
From the town of Rifle, go north on State Highway 13 from Interstate 70. This two-lane, paved road takes you along the Grand Hogback on the west flank of the plateau to the town of Meeker, 41 miles from Rifle. Meeker is a good place to fill your gas tank, buy groceries, or a fishing/hunting license before venturing to the wilderness.
US Highway 40, while it doesn’t traverse the plateau, does give access to the wilderness from the north. Craig is 48 miles north of Meeker. On the west side of Craig, State Highway 13 goes south to Meeker from US 40.
From Steamboat Springs, 42 miles east of Craig on US 40 and at the west side of Rabbit Ears Pass, State Highway 131 goes south to join Interstate 70 at Wolcott. State Highway 131 passes through the communities of Oak Creek, Phippsburg, and Yampa, each of which gives access to the eastern areas of the wilderness.
Kremmling, a small ranching community, lies 52 miles southeast of Steamboat Springs and 112 miles west of Denver, also on US 40. It doesn’t give access to the Flat Tops, but 6 miles west of town, take State Highway 134 over Gore Pass to connect with State Highway 131. Yampa is 9 miles north of the 131/134 junction.
In addition to the major state and federal all-weather roads, there is a network of county roads accessing the wilderness. From New Castle, 11 miles west of Glenwood Springs on Interstate 70, a gravel road, the New Castle–Buford Road, takes you north to Buford. In the White River National Forest, it’s Forest Road 244 and in Rio Blanco County, its designation is County Road 17.
Rio Blanco County Road 8 heads east from Meeker and gets you into the north side of the wilderness. Between Meeker and the Lost Creek Guard Station east of Buford, the road is paved for a distance of about 25 miles. At the forest boundary, the road is well-maintained gravel. The road takes you over Ripple Creek Pass and on to the towns of Oak Creek, Phippsburg, and Yampa, another 40 miles east. From Yampa, Routt County Road 7 on the south side of town leads west for 17 miles to Stillwater Reservoir over narrow, rough pavement, which changes to gravel at the forest boundary.
Eagle County Road 301, also named the Colorado River Road, is a good gravel road that follows the Colorado River. It takes off from State Highway 131 near the community of McCoy. This road provides wilderness access from Derby, Sweetwater, and Deep
