James Peak Wilderness

The James Peak area became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 2002. James Peak (13,294 feet) was named for Edwin James, an American physician and botanist who traveled to Colorado on the 1819 U.S. Army expedition led by Major Stephen Long. James was the first botanist to describe many of the plants of the Rocky Mountains.

Bordered by Indian Peaks Wilderness to the north, the 17,015-acre James Peak Wilderness is located within Boulder, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties. Adjacent to the Continental Divide on the eastern slope, James Peak Wilderness includes several peaks over 13,000 feet and more than a dozen alpine lakes.

The area's elevation ranges from 9,200 to 13,294 feet, which includes upper montane, sub-alpine, and alpine ecosystems of the Rocky Mountains. Always use Leave No Trace techniques to help keep this area wild, clean, and pristine.