Savage Run Wilderness

Steep-sided canyons rest at the lower elevations (around 8,000 feet) of this forested Wilderness, which covers about 23 square miles on the west side of the Medicine Bow Range. The land rises to about 10,000 feet and rolling plateau-like terrain. Savage Run Creek tumbles through the heart of the area in roughly an east-west direction. At the tree line, you'll find Engelmann spruce, ponderosa pine, limber pine, Douglas fir, subalpine fir, cottonwood, and quaking aspen. Anglers come for the creek's brook trout, while a resident elk population attracts hunters. The "more difficult" Savage Run Trail follows the creek for about nine miles, with an elevation change of 2,400 feet, passing through stands of virgin timber along the way. The strenuous Cottonwood Trail enters from the southern boundary and travels two miles to join the Savage Run Trail.