Sarvis Creek Wilderness is a quiet, green, low-elevation corner of Colorado wild

Most people picture Colorado wilderness as rock and tundra above the trees. The Sarvis Creek Wilderness, southeast of Steamboat Springs between the Yampa River and the Gore Range, is a different and welcome kind of place. It is heavily wooded, drained by Sarvis Creek and Silver Creek, and has no alpine tundra at all. That makes for quiet, green hiking and good elk country rather than big peak views, a calmer flavor of Colorado wild.

One thing is worth planning for in this dense forest. The mountain pine beetle swept through here and left large stands of standing dead trees. Those snags can fall on their own, sometimes with no wind and no warning, and they can come down across trails and campsites. The Forest Service points this out as a real safety consideration, so it is good to keep in mind.

A few easy habits cover it. Look up before you pitch a tent and avoid camping under leaning or dead trees. Be extra careful on windy days. And remember this is designated wilderness, so the usual wilderness rules apply: no motors, no bikes, no carts, and group-size limits.

The wilderness is reached from trailheads off the upper and lower Sarvis Creek and Silver Creek drainages. Before heading in, check current conditions and rules on the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest page for the Sarvis Creek Wilderness.