North Elk Creek Roadless Area

Adoption Status: ADOPTED

9,972 acres (15.6 square miles)

How to get there
The North Elk roadless area is located about 9 miles south of Buford, and 20 miles southeast of Meeker.

• The best access to the area is provided by the Buford-Newcastle Road (FS 245), which makes up the entire eastern and half of the southern boundary. From Buford, take this road south, and locate the North Elk Trail (1835) just south of Big Ridge. This trail is the northern boundary of the unit, and it follows the East Fork of North Elk Creek to the North Elk Creek Road (FS 210). This trail is open to motorcycles. Further down FS 245, the Bear Gulch Road (FS 248) leads to Trail 2828, which leads to Middle Mountain between the Middle and West Forks of North Elk Creek.
• To reach the west side, at Triangle Park branch off FS 245 to the west onto the Bar H-L Road (FS 211; improved dirt). At Twin Springs, turn north onto FS 214 (4WD) , followed by a right turn onto Widow Springs Road (FS 212). The Prospect Draw Trail (1836) is reached from FS 213 (a sharp turn south from FS 212). This goes through the roadless area to the North Elk Creek Road (FS 210), where it meets the North Elk Trail (1835).
• To reach the North Elk Road (FS 210), and the two trailheads there, turn south from County Road 8 six miles southwest of Buford. Cross the White River and turn left. Access may be blocked by private land.
• The USGS 7 1⁄2’ quads for the North Elk RA are Triangle Park, Meadow Creek Lake, Big Beaver Reservoir, and a small amount on Buford.

Setting
The North Elk roadless area sits on the north side of the giant plateau that lies between the White River and the Colorado River. The high plateau is broad and gently rolling. The roadless area occupies the West, Middle, and East Forks of North Elk Creek, which steeply drain the plateau into a deep valley that feeds the White River. The divides between creeks are rounded and forested. Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir dominate the highlands and give way to Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine at lower elevations, and with signature riparian zone blue spruce along the creeks. The entire area features scattered stands of aspen and scenic alpine meadows. The area receives heavy snowfall. Elevations range from 7,100 feet along North Elk Creek to 10,000 feet in the upper Middle Fork.

What’s special about it?
Large areas of mid-elevation forest are becoming increasingly rare and are alarmingly unprotected throughout the national forest system, this despite the important role they play in preserving biological diversity. The area doesn't get many recreational tourists but does receive heavy hunting pressure during hunting season. Elk and other big game are abundant in the lush meadows, gorgeous aspen forests, and verdant streams. This is excellent summer range for these wild animals.

The only regular human visitors to the area are hunters in the fall, and they come in large numbers. The fishing is excellent too. Without areas like this, the now fairly sustainable economy of places like Meeker would be replaced by the vagaries of the boom/bust energy extraction economy. The setting is beautiful and the game plentiful. Native american Utes found the same to be true long before white settlement and there is ample evidence of their use of the area.

Potential threats

Most of the North Elk RA has been identified as having high potential for oil and gas development. Consequently, it is available for oil and gas leasing though no known leases currently exist in the area. Roadless advocates should request the entirety of the roadless area be made unavailable for leasing. But, in the event that leasing does occur, request that the WRNF impost non-waivable No Surface Occupancy (NSO) stipulations throughout the entire roadless area.

The high value, mature timber in the area may attract interest in logging the area. But, the main threat is excessive motorized activity around the perimeter, and within, this wild area. Most of this occurs during hunting season with a few bad apples blazing roads that unsuspecting law-abiding citizen's later follow thinking that it may lead somewhere, further imprinting the ground with these bandit tire tracks.