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By PK | March 28, 2009

The Flat Top Scenic Byway runs from Meeker, Colorado in Rio Blanco County to Yampa, Colorado in Routt County. It consists of 82 miles, of which 40 miles is unpaved dirt or gravel roads. I do want to mention some of these roads have a washboard effect, so hang on tightly and be prepared for a bumpy ride at times.

This trip is accessible by car, except for a short hike up a steep hill to see Trapper’s Lake. There are several trails up to the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. Flat Tops…I am obsessed with this place. It is not a hike for a beginner. You pack in…you pack out. You leave no trace that you were there.

The Flat Tops Wilderness consists of 235, 000 acres of pristine, untouched land atop 11,000+ feet of plateaus that are occupied by fragile alpine tundra. The view from the top is well worth the hike. It is the one place I have yet to hike and am anticipating it with great enthusiasm. It is simply said…the hikes of all hikes. As I stand at the entrance, knowing it is not yet time for me to accomplish this feat, I patiently await….and while I’m waiting, break in my new Cabela’s hiking boots!

Trapper Lake is known as the “Cradle of Wilderness” due to the efforts of Arthur H. Carhart. In 1919, his recommendations stopped construction of roads and homes around the lake. This was the start of the wilderness movement, which led to the Wilderness Act in 1964.

This mountain is well-known as the Amphitheater or one giant’s big butt, whichever you prefer.

A trail on this mountain leads to Skinny Fish Canyon and on up to the Flat Tops Wilderness Area.

This mountain is called Chinese Wall. There was a forest fire in this area in 2002 caused by lightning and as you can see the forest has yet completed it’s regrowth. It was my first experience seeing the destruction caused by fire and made me sad to see such beauty destroyed.

This is Himes Peak named after Samuel Himes who owned the historic Himes Ranch in the late 1800s. A number of prominent guests, including Theodore Roosevelt, visited this hunting lodge, one of the first in this area.

The Himes Ranch…now called the Rio Blanco Ranch is privately owned and operated as a hunting lodge.

Colorado has over 1700 species of wildflowers and I think I enjoy every one of them. These are some I’ve never seen before. It seems I’m always coming across new ones that I want to photograph and share.

And no…I don’t know all their names. That would be quite an achievement.

The scenery along this byway is gorgeous. They have camping and picnicking places for you to enjoy. We stopped with our picnic basket and whipped out our little propane grill and had hamburgers.

The mountains you see between the trees are Lost Lakes Peaks.

Horseback riding is popular among the many trails available. These two riders were coming down the mountain from the Flat Tops.

The tall flat mountain in this next picture is the northern end of the Flat Tops. My ultimate hike! I do hope to make it there this year, but I’ve got a lot of hiking to do before I can possibly make it up there.

This waterfall was quite a distance away from us, but with the technology of a zoom lens it made it possible to really see it.

Vaughn Lake is a Division of Wildlife reservoir. You can picnic, camp or fish for brown, cut throat, or rainbow trout.

There’s a story behind this picture. I saved it for last. I saw my first bear as we were driving along. It was in the middle of the road staring at us. I gasped as it reared up thinking it was going to charge us. Guess you can tell I’m not familiar around bears! I fumbled for my camera, but before I could take his picture he ran off into the woods. These woods…

Needless to say, I was very disappointed. I’ve been waiting a long time to see a bear that isn’t caged inside a zoo. Perhaps the next time I’ll get lucky and get a picture of a bear, just not too close. I’d rather take advantage of those zoom lens!

This is a trip I’d recommend for families, elderly grandparents, even handicapped people with a little assistance to get outdoors and take in the wonderful nature God has given us. There are plenty of restrooms along the way, but remember to bring your own food and drinks, don’t feed the animals, take home everything you brought with you and enjoy the drive!

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Topics: Colorado |

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