33 Acres Returned to Rocky Mountain National Park’s Wild Basin Area

 

Before and After Cabin Removal

Sept. 6, 2018 — The Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park lives up to its name as the wildest area of the park. It’s in Wild Basin that a large amount of designated wilderness is located, and where backpackers, anglers, hikers and horse packers enjoy a truly remote experience a short hour outside of Denver and the Colorado Front Range.

Until now, a two-story house sat in the middle of this wilderness, perched atop a highly visible rock formation, its driveway cutting through the trees to its doorstep. After two years of work, The Wilderness Land Trust is pleased to announce the transfer of this parcel to the Park Service as an addition to Rocky Mountain National Park.

The Trust purchased this critical property and has removed the existing two-story house, returning the land to its natural state. The paved access road will soon be transformed into a hiking trail, giving the public access to the view from the property’s overlook for the first time in nearly 100 years.

We sincerely thank the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, the National Park Trust, and our local funders and supporters, for helping to make this a reality.