Tag Archive for: Chicago Basin

Public access protected as the Weminuche Wilderness grows

June 25, 2025-

Earlier this year we shared the news that we had acquired a 30-acre private inholding in the Weminuche Wilderness of southern Colorado. Now we are thrilled to announce that the property has been transferred to public ownership to be protected as designated wilderness.

Running through the property are both Needle Creek and the Needle Creek Trail, which is used by hikers and climbers to access the very popular Chicago Basin and its surrounding 14,000+ peaks. With flat, buildable stream-side sites, the property was previously at risk of development. Now protected, public access on the trail to Chicago Basin has been ensured for future generations to enjoy. Needle Creek is an important tributary to the Animas River. This water source, along with vibrant aspen groves that stretch from the creek up the slopes of the Needle Mountains, create habitat for a wide range of wildlife. The Needle Creek property scores high for climate change resilience, biodiversity, and landscape connectivity, all important conservation values that will be protected as wilderness.

At just shy of half a million acres, the Weminuche Wilderness is the largest in Colorado. Spanning the continental divide, with an average elevation of over 10,000 feet, its rugged terrain provides important alpine habitat. Needle Creek is the 15th property protected by the Trust in the wilderness area, and builds off the success of the nearby 7-acre Emerald Lake property that the Trust acquired in 2018 and transferred to be added to the wilderness area in 2023.

While the property is now protected as wilderness, we will continue working with the USFS to complete some remaining restoration work this summer, removing the remnants of a hunting camp left by a previous owner. We are encouraged to see transfers of property like Needle Creek still moving forward under the new administration, and are grateful for our wonderful partners at the San Juan National Forest and Region 2 USFS office for working so diligently to move this project through the transfer process.

Public access to Colorado’s Chicago Basin protected!

January 24, 2025-

For most visitors, the hike to Chicago Basin in Colorado’s Weminuche Wilderness starts on the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad as it winds 30 miles through the mountains. From the train stop, the Needle Creek Trail climbs steadily for 6 miles till the valley opens up into the sweeping views of Chicago Basin and the surrounding peaks. Due to its convenient access from the train and to its iconic 14,000+ ft peaks, the basin is a popular destination, with heavy use through the summer months for hikers, backpackers, and mountaineers.

Most of those visitors who come to Chicago Basin for the scenic beauty and quiet solitude of the wilderness are unaware that the trail they’re traversing crosses several privately owned inholding properties where that experience is not guaranteed. Without the protections of the surrounding wilderness, these properties could be developed with cabins, resorts, or mining and timber operations. Suddenly their wilderness experience could be dominated by the buzz of chainsaws, the thwomp of landing helicopters, or even the trail blocked and closed to the public. This lingering threat to public access, as well as the integrity of the fragile, high alpine ecosystem has driven our work in the Weminuche, along with wilderness areas across the county.

The Trust recently protected our 15th property in the Weminuche Wilderness with the acquisition of a 30-acre private inholding property with both Needle Creek and the Needle Creek Trail running through it. With flat, buildable stream-side sites the property was at risk of development. Now protected, public access on the trail to Chicago Basin has been ensured for future generations to enjoy. Needle Creek is an important tributary to the Animas River. This water source, along with vibrant aspen groves that stretch from the creek up the slopes of the Needle Mountains, create habit for a wide range of wildlife. The Needle Creek property scores high for climate change resilience, biodiversity, and landscape connectivity, all important conservation values that will be protected as wilderness.

Now that the property has been acquired by the Trust, we will begin restoration work this summer to remove the remnants of a hunting camp left by a previous owner to restore it to its wilderness character prior to transfer to public ownership and addition to the wilderness. This project builds off the nearby 7-acre Emerald Lake property that the Trust acquired in 2018 and transferred to be added to the wilderness area in 2023.