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Fish Creek Roadless Area map [pdf]
The Fish Creek Roadless Area is located in the northwestern portion of the San Juan National Forest and includes the Fish Creek and Little Fish Creek drainages. Despite the fact this is a 15,740-acre roadless area and obviously greater than 5,000 acres in size, it was missed during RARE II and has not previously been considered an inventoried roadless area.
Fish Creek is one of the rare lower elevation roadless areas in the San Juans. The area’s lowest elevations, along Fish Creek, are covered with lush willow-dominated riparian zones and several small stands of old-growth ponderosa pine. Aspen tend to dominate south-facing slopes while spruce-fir forests populate north-facing slopes. Above the stream valley rims, the spruce forests of Black Mesa have been extensively clearcut. These clearcuts on Black Mesa and Willow Divide form the boundary of the roadless area.
A Forest system trail traverses Fish Creek, beginning at the state wildlife area and ending at the Dunton-Norwood road. No official trail heads up Little Fish Creek, but hunting and other social trails are readily passable. Fish Creek Roadless Area offers abundant opportunities for outstanding recreational opportunities such as hiking, horseback riding, and hunting and fishing. Fish Creek sits astride several major elk migration corridors between winter range to the southwest and summer range around the Lizard Head Wilderness. The area’s relatively remote location and undeveloped tributaries provide outstanding opportunities for solitude as well.
There are no roads or other evidence of human activities within the roadless area. Aspen and spruce clearcuts on the rims above the stream valleys tend to define the roadless area boundaries on all sides.
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