The Lost Creek Wilderness is a

wilderness area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

located in central

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

in Jefferson and Park counties, south of the town of Bailey. The area is situated entirely within the boundaries of the

Pike National Forest The Pike National Forest is located in the Front Range of Colorado, United States, west of Colorado Springs including Pikes Peak. The forest encompasses 1,106,604 acres (4,478 km2) within Clear Creek, Teller, Park, Jefferson, Douglas and ...

. The Lost Creek Scenic Area is a 16,798-acre

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

within the Wilderness.

Wilderness

The area is named for Lost Creek, a

perennial stream A perennial stream is a stream that has continuous flow of surface water throughout the year in at least parts of its catchment during seasons of normal rainfall, Water Supply Paper 494. as opposed to one whose flow is intermittent. In the abse ...

that disappears and reappears before finally joining Goose Creek, which empties into the

South Platte River The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River. Flowing through the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska, it is itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/ Mountain West. It ...

at Cheesman Reservoir just east of the Wilderness area. The entire water system of the area forms a watershed for the Platte River Basin. The area is notable for its many

rock formations A rock formation is an isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock outcrop. Rock formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. The term ''rock formation'' can also refer to specific sedimen ...

natural arch A natural arch, natural bridge, or (less commonly) rock arch is a natural landform where an arch has formed with an opening underneath. Natural arches commonly form where inland cliffs, coastal cliffs, fins or stacks are subject to erosion ...

es, and rounded

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...

domes and knobs. These are contained in two ranges of low alpine

foothills Foothills or piedmont are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills and the adjacent topogr ...

of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...

: the Kenosha Mountains and the Tarryall Mountains. Bison Peak is the highest peak in the wilderness. Because of its proximity to

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, the area is quite popular for outdoor recreation in both the summer and winter months. Common activities in the area include hiking, backpacking, and rock climbing, as well as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and winter camping. There are of trails in the wilderness, including a section of the Colorado Trail that crosses Lost Creek then parallels the northeast boundary toward Kenosha Pass. Lost Creek Wilderness location in Colorado

Lost Creek Wilderness location in Colorado

Lost Park, as the area is sometimes called, was one of the last refuges of the

American bison The American bison (''Bison bison'') is a species of bison native to North America. Sometimes colloquially referred to as American buffalo or simply Bubalina, buffalo (a different clade of bovine), it is one of two extant species of bison, alongs ...

in the United States.

Scenic area

The Lost Creek Scenic Area is a site within the Lost Creek Wilderness that was created in 1963 under the 1939 "U-Regulations", which was the precursor of the

Wilderness Act The Wilderness Act of 1964 () was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected 9.1 million acres (37,000 km²) of federal land. The result of a lon ...

. The area was designated a

in 1966. It is located in the

and is in both Park and Jefferson counties. Rock formations with pinnacles and spires are located in narrow gorges and on ridges. An underground stream "disappears and reappears" nine times or more at the site.

In popular culture

Episode 2 of Season 1 of the television series '' Supernatural'' takes place within the Lost Creek Wilderness area, specifically at the fictitious Blackwater Ridge.

Notes

References

{{Authority control IUCN Category Ib Protected areas of Jefferson County, Colorado Protected areas of Park County, Colorado Wilderness areas of Colorado Protected areas established in 1980 Pike National Forest Natural arches of Colorado Landforms of Jefferson County, Colorado Landforms of Park County, Colorado