The Flat Tops Wilderness Area is unique, a high plateau at 11,000 feet. Its nearly flat surface is covered with woodlands and alpine meadows, pockmarked with hundreds of lakes and drained by mountain streams. The wilderness is accessed by a network of trails for hikers and horseback riders alike. A visitor could spend an entire season here and not see all of this magnificent wilderness.This book is the only comprehensive guide to the Flat Tops Wilderness. It gives detailed directions to each trailhead and describes what you will find along the many trails. You will discover the many wonders of the Flat Tops; its geologic history from the episodes of mountain building and subsistence, and inundation by warm seas; the periods of volcanism and succeeding ice ages; and the first visitors to this remarkable land. The wildlife of the region, the flora and fauna, the weather, and seasons are all described. You will also learn common sense ways to protect wilderness environment as well as yourself on a visit to this incomparable land.

Area MapTrail Map WestTrail Map EastChapter OneIntroductionHistoryFlora and FaunaClimateAccessChapter TwoRegulations and Common SenseNo Trace CampingEmergenciesEnvironmental HazardsOther HazardsAltitude Illness: Don't Let It Get You DownChapter ThreeMaps For the Flat TopsHiking The Flat Tops WildernessPilgrims And HorsesSouth Fork of the White River County Roads 17 & 10Oyster Lake Trail 1825Peltier Lake Trail 1826Hill Creek Trail 2255Fowler Creek Trail 2256Fowler Bench Trail 2257South Fork Trail 1827Lost Solar 1828Park Creek 1829Fawn CreekNichols Creek 1830Doe Creek 2259North Fork of the White River County Roads 8 & 12Papoose Trail 2248Ute Creek Trail 1824West Marvine TrailMarvine Lakes Trail 1823East Marvine Trail 1822Big Marvine Peak Trail 1822.2ABig Ridge Trail 1820Wild Cow Park Trail 1820.1BBig Ridge Cutoff Trail 1820.1AForest Road 205Mirror Lake Trail 1821Big Fish Trail 1819Boulder Lake Trail 2262Lake Of The Woods Trail 2263Duck Lake Trail 2261Himes Peak Trail 1877Trappers LakeWall Lake Trail 1818Stillwater Trail 1814Carhart Trail 1815Surprise Lake TrailTrappers Lake Trail 1816Skinny Fish Trail 1813Picket Pin Trail 1811Anderson Reservoir TrailForest Road 8 (County Road 8)Chinese Wall Trail 1803Deer Lake Trail 1802Transfer Trail 1172East Fork Trail 1119Lost Lakes Trail 1116West Lost Lake Trail 1103Black Mountain Trail 1117State Highway 131Sand Creek Trail 1123Sawtooth Trail 1165Mandall Lakes Trail 1121Smith Lake TrailEast Fork Trail 1119Devils CausewayBear River Trail 1120North Derby Trail 1122Edge Lake TrailBailey Lakes Trail 1859Eagle County Road 301Hooper Lake Trail 1860Island Lake Trail 1842Solitary Lake Trail 1846Middle Derby Trail 1858Hiking The Southeast Flat TopsRoberts Trail 2076South Derby Trail 1857Turret - Crescent Trail 2269W Mountain Trail 1817South W Mountain Trail 2060Turret Creek Trail 1832Johnny Meyers Lake Trail 2067Shingle Peak Trail 2042Sweetwater Trail 1854Rim Lake Trail 1856Forest Road 600Deep Creek OverlookTrappers Lake Trail 1816Wagonwheel Creek Trail 2049Blair Lake Trail 2098AppendixBibliographyIndex