The Wet Mountains aren’t dramatic by Colorado standards, rising above the prairie like a nondescript green wall, with only the southern tip reaching past the timberline. They might be more at home in the Appalachians than the Rockies.
But don’t be fooled — this area is as full of outdoor recreation opportunities as anywhere else in Colorado. Plus, it’s within an easy drive of the Front Range. Other highlights:
A battle occurred here in 1779 that sealed the fate of a great Comanche chief.
Home of America’s first national forest campground, it’s where America fell in love with camping.
Few people outside of Pueblo know about this mountain range, so opportunities for solitude abound.
Use this guide to explore the Wet Mountains this summer.
Take a hike
“Smaller in stature than their sister mountain range, the [Sangre de Cristos], the ‘Wets,’ in local shorthand, aren’t short on wonderful hiking and outdoor adventures, plus many treks provide amazing 360-degree views,” wrote Herb Kober, author of the Hiking Guide for the Sangre de Cristo and Wet Mountains.
There isn’t even a National Geographic Trails Illustrated — the gold standard of hiking maps — for the range. So, the nonprofit Trails for All published that book a few years ago.
“The Wet Mountains are thought to be named for the amount of moisture and heavy snow that happens in winter compared to the arid plains to the east. At about 12 miles across from east to west, the Wets basically run north to south an estimated 40 miles from U.S. 50 to Walsenburg, topping out at 12,346 feet.”
That high point is Greenhorn Mountain, named for the Comanche chief Cuerno Verde, who wore a green horn on his head and dared to defy the Spanish in the 1770s, raiding settlements and stealing horses. They caught up with him somewhere in the vicinity and killed the chief.
That peak offers the most scenic hiking in the region.
“You can walk around Greenhorn, with the most spectacular views of the Wet Mountain Valley on one side, and you go around to the other side, where you have spectacular views of Pueblo and Pikes Peak,” said Deb Adams, chairwoman of the Custer County Tourism Board.
The easy way to hike it is from the end of Forest Service Road 396, a 5.5-mile round-trip stroll through the tundra.
The hard way is the Bartlett Trail, which starts in the town of Rye and climbs a lung-busting 3,880 feet to the summit through all of the high country’s ecosystems.
“That’s the beauty of the Wet Mountains, that there are easy to moderate hikes and also more challenging hikes, whatever a person is looking for,” Adams said.
The area around the peak is the only designated wilderness, so you’ll likely share the trail with motorized vehicles elsewhere.
Camping
It’s hard to believe now, but there was a time when people never spent the night in the woods.
In 1919, the U.S. Forest Service tried an experiment, building a campground here.
A newly motorized public embraced the idea, and the Squirrel Creek Campground became the prototype for thousands of others.
A flood washed it away in 1947, but you can still experience camping before the age of RVs at the nearby Davenport Campground, a tent-only spot built to resemble the old camping experience.
You can hike a few miles down the creek to the remains of the first campground.
By far, the most popular camping spot is Lake Isabel. The 40-acre lake, built for recreation, lies in a valley ringed by pines and rolling mountains.
It’s a great spot for (non-motorized) boating, fishing, or just getting away from the summer heat of the Front Range.
There are three campgrounds: La Vista, on the lake’s east side; Southside, along a pleasant creek; and St. Charles, a mile from the lake.
You can also book the Lake Isabel Cabin, a historic ranger station, for $75 per night.
Make reservations at www.recreation.gov.
Dispersed camping is abundant in the national forest; just be sure to pick a spot at least 100 feet from water and be prepared to pack out your trash.
Bishop’s Castle
In 1972, Jim Bishop was building a cabin on land he bought in the mountains.
After encasing a cistern in stone, so many people remarked that it looked like a castle that Bishop began adding on. And adding on.
Today, it’s one of Colorado’s most popular, if strange, roadside attractions.
Towering over the pine trees, it is a monument to one man’s ambition to build something lasting. Admission is free to tour the castle, though donations are accepted. You can find more information at www.bishopcastle.org.
Frontier Pathways Scenic Byway
Not everyone wants to enjoy the mountains on a trail or at a campsite.
You also can see it from your car on the Frontier Pathways, a driving loop between Pueblo and Colorado City.
Colorado 96 winds from the prairie uphill to Hardscrabble Pass, a great place to see bighorn sheep.
At McKenzie Junction, turn south on Colorado 165, passing by many of the area’s attractions, including Bishop’s Castle and Lake San Isabel, before leaving the mountains and rejoining Interstate 25 at Colorado City.
If you have extra time, stay on Colorado 96 at McKenzie Junction and drive into the quaint town of Westcliffe for lunch.
The view of the mighty Sangre de Cristo Mountains coming down is one of Colorado’s most stunning roadside views.
“Driving on 96 for the first time, I must have said ‘wow’ at least a dozen times because of the view you get of the Sangre de Cristos,” Adams said.
Find more about the scenic drive at www.frontierpathways.com.
