Fossil Ridge Wilderness - Crested Butte, CO

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Fossil Ridge Wilderness


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Located in the Gunnison National Forest in Colorado, the 33,000 acre Fossil Ridge Wilderness was designated as part of the 1993 Colorado Wilderness Act. The area is characterized by granite and limestone ridges, alpine lakes and deep, glaciated valleys. The inaccessible Crystal Creek stream drainage, sandwiched between high narrow cliffs, is one of Colorado's most inaccessible river drainages and a haven for elk.

Other wildlife in the wilderness includes deer, mountain goat and an occasional bighorn sheep. Numerous lakes within the wilderness support brown, brook and yellowstone cutthroat trout. The Taylor River Canyon in the northern portion of the wilderness is renowned among trout fishermen. Approximately 20 miles of hiking trails can be found within the wilderness.

Fossil Ridge derives its name from the high limestone ridge that is very rich in fossils. Between 600 and 275 million years ago, ancient seas deposited thousands of feet of limestone and dolomite, creating what's called the "Leadville Formation". This formation contains fossils of varied sea life, from sharks to invertebrates. In the assuming millions of years, Earth's tectonic forces thrust the formation from sea level to over 13,000 feet.