Mount Zirkel Wilderness is the high, roadless country east of Steamboat

East and north of Steamboat Springs, the Park Range rises into the Mount Zirkel Wilderness, a large stretch of high, roadless country named for one of its peaks. It straddles the Continental Divide and holds dozens of alpine lakes and the headwaters of several rivers. Trailheads like Slavonia near Seedhouse lead into it.

The word “wilderness” here is a legal status, not just scenery. Congress designated this area under the Wilderness Act, and that brings stricter rules than ordinary national forest. Motorized equipment and vehicles are not allowed. Neither are bicycles or wheeled carts, which surprises some mountain bikers and hunters who want to wheel out a load. Chainsaws are out too. Group sizes are capped, with people and pack animals counted together.

The point of these rules is to keep the place quiet, primitive, and self-reliant. That also means help is far away. Weather turns fast above treeline, afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer, and snow can linger on passes well into the warm months.

If you are planning a hike, a backpack, or a hunt here, learn the specific wilderness rules and group limits before you start, and pack for sudden weather. The Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest page for the Mount Zirkel Wilderness lists the current regulations and access points.