• Download the Stoner Mesa Roadless Area map [pdf]
Stoner Mesa roadless area comprises 20,584 acres of unroaded lands with few imprints of humanity. The roadless area is characterized by the gently sloping, level surface of Stoner Mesa itself; the mesa’s steeply sloping sides; and the narrow valley of Stoner Creek. Only Stoner Mesa shows any noticeable signs of human activity.
The Stoner Mesa roadless area contains no maintained or constructed roads, and no obvious two-track ways. It is a classically undeveloped roadless area. Human imprints are few and concentrated primarily on Stoner Mesa itself. There exist 6-7 stock reservoirs scattered across Stoner Mesa. Several of these blend closely into the environment and are almost indistinguishable from natural Stoner Lake. The others have obviously constructed earthen berms, but these 6-7 stock ponds are widely scattered across the mesa and are usually screened by dense aspen forest. There also exist several range fences crossing the mesa from rim to rim, which are also well screened.
Stoner Mesa roadless area consists primarily of aspen forests with scattered pockets of ponderosa pine and oakbrush at lower elevations or on sunny, dry southern slopes. At the highest elevations, stands of spruce and fir intermingle with aspen. Blue spruce occur occasionally, particularly along streams. The steep slopes below Stoner Mesa’s rim, and below the west rim of Taylor Mesa, offer absolutely pure stands of virgin aspen. Many stands harbor no conifers in the understory, and the steep topography makes the area unsuitable for grazing. Consequently, some of the San Juan’s best examples of pure, unaltered aspen occur along the slopes of Stoner Mesa and Taylor Mesa.
Stoner Mesa’s gently undulating plateau provides a remarkable range of aspen forest types. The aspen forest is unbroken but for a few scattered grassy parks, but these stands vary considerably with soil type. Stands on shallow, rocky soils are thin and stunted in appearance. These quickly change to dense, vigorous stands rooted on deeper, loamy soils. A peculiar characteristic of these forests are gigantic ghostly ponderosa snags rising above the aspen. One such snag measured more than 55 inches in diameter; several living trees measured over 40 inches in diameter. Occasional white fir and Engelmann spruce struggle to invade some stands, but Stoner Mesa is easily 99% pure aspen.
Two main trails traverse the roadless area: the Stoner Mesa Trail which runs the length of the mesa and the Eagle Peak Trail which parallels Stoner Creek. Neither receive great use except during hunting season. This lack of recreational pressure, combined with dense aspen forests, makes for outstanding opportunities for solitude. Recreational activities include hiking, backpacking, horsepacking, hunting, and fishing. The uncommon experience of hiking many miles through varying aspen forests makes recreational opportunities particularly unique and outstanding among San Juan NF roadless and wilderness areas.
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