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Adoption Status: ADOPTED
885 acres (1.4 square miles)
How to get there
- The Ashcroft roadless area is located about 11 miles south
of Aspen.
- From
the roundabout on State Highway 82, west of Aspen, go south on Castle Creek
Road (FS 102), past the hospital. The unit begins on your right at the American
Lake Trailhead, and ends about 4 miles south, just past the Cooper Creek Road
(FS 121) turnoff.
- The
short road (FS 127) that leads to Cathedral Lake Trailhead provides access to
the center of the unit. The Cathedral Lake Trail (1984) climbs across a
hillside to Pine Creek and enters the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness Area.
- The
USGS 7 1⁄2’ quad for the Ashcroft RA is Hayden Peak.
Setting
The Ashcroft roadless area is situated in the upper Castle
Creek valley, and occupies steep, east-facing slopes that descend to meet the
gently rolling valley floor. Pine Creek and Devaney Creek flow from Cathedral
and American Lakes, respectively, through this area into Castle Creek. The
slopes are forested with Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and aspen. Willows
grow along the valley floor. The south end of the area features massive
avalanche paths up to 3,000 vertical feet in length. Elevations in the unit
range from 9,400 feet along Castle Creek, to 11,600 feet on the Wilderness boundary.
What’s special about it?
The soaring slopes of the Ashcroft roadless area tower over
the historic Ashcroft ghost town. This area is a major recreational destination
for residents of and visitors to Aspen. Ashcroft Ski Touring operates a nordic
skiing center here, with a system of trails along the valley floor in the
roadless area. Many visitors dine at the famous Pine Creek Cookhouse, which is
on the boundary of the unit at the bottom of Pine Creek. The Aspen Center for
Environmental Studies conducts educational tours of the historic townsite. The
Cathedral Lake Trail is very popular among hikers, and is a heavily-used access
to the Wilderness.
The unit includes summer range for elk and deer, some winter
range for bighorn sheep, and acts as a buffer between the heavily-visited
Ashcroft area and the Wilderness.
Potential threats
There are two patented mining claims within the RA that have
potential for development.
Other info
The USFS included only 885 out of 1,302 roadless acres in
their inventory. 417 acres were excluded because of their proximity to
activities along Castle Creek Road. Ashcroft is one of 6 roadless areas that
surround the large Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness Area and create a roadless
complex of over 206,000 acres (321 square miles)! |
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;)