• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Uncover Colorado Logo

  • Blog
  • Activities
    • Year-round
      • Brewery Tours
      • Casinos & Gaming
      • Caves
      • Colorado Brands
      • Escape Rooms
      • Federal Lands
      • Food & Dining
      • Ghost Towns
      • Gondola & Chairlifts
      • Hot Springs
      • Lakes
      • Landmarks
      • Mine Tours
      • Mountains
      • Museums
      • Paintball
      • Performing Arts
      • Public Parks
      • Rivers
      • Scenic Drives
      • Sightseeing Tours
      • Shopping
      • Sports Teams
      • State Parks
      • Train Rides
      • Transportation
      • Winery Tours
      • Wildlife
      • Zip Lines & Aerial Parks
    • Spring, Summer & Fall
      • Amusement Parks
      • ATV Rentals
      • Biking
      • Boating
      • Camping
      • Drive-In Theaters
      • Fishing
      • Golf Courses
      • Hiking
      • Horseback Riding
      • Jeep Rentals
      • Rock Climbing
      • Tubing & Paddling
      • Waterfalls
      • Whitewater Rafting
    • Winter
      • Cross Country Skiing
      • Dog Sledding
      • Ice Climbing
      • Ice Fishing
      • Ice Skating
      • Skiing & Snowboarding
      • Sleigh Rides
      • Snow Tubing
      • Snowbiking
      • Snowmobiling
      • Snowshoeing
  • Events
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
  • Lodging
    • Budget Hotels
    • Historic Hotels
    • Luxury Hotels
    • Bed & Breakfasts
    • Boutique Hotels
    • Cabins & Glamping
    • Casinos w/ Lodging
    • Hot Spring w/ Lodging
    • Wineries w/ Lodging
    • Best Hotels
    • Dude Ranches
    • Campgrounds
  • Towns
  • Trip Planner
  • Search
  • Blog
  • Activities
  • Events
  • Lodging
  • Towns
  • Trip Planner
Cache La Poudre Wilderness Colorado
Cache La Poudre Wilderness. Photo: trover.com

Cache La Poudre Wilderness – by Fort Collins

FacebookTwitter

At only 9,484 acres, the Cache La Poudre Wilderness may seem like it does not have much to offer, but it is definitely one of Colorado’s hidden gems.

Located in the Roosevelt National Forest, the Cache La Poudre Wilderness was designated as a wilderness area in 1980 and is under the governance of the U.S. Forest Service. The wilderness was named after the Cache La Poudre River, which flows along the northern boundary of the wilderness.

The Little South Fork of the river flows directly into the wilderness, and water from the river has carved a canyon into the bedrock.

Activities

It’s Colorado’s only designated Wild and Scenic River Drainage, and the river’s abundance of trout has made fishing the most popular activity in the wilderness.

Cache La Poudre Wilderness
Cache La Poudre River. Photo: trover.com

Human use is low in the Cache La Poudre Wilderness since the harsh terrain along the Cache La Poudre River and the Little South Fork makes hiking a bit of a challenge. The wilderness only features one trail known as the Mount McConnel National Recreation Trail. Despite this, the wilderness does offer some exciting sights and wildlife.

The landscape is adorned with ponderosa and lodgepole pine forests, while bears, coyotes, and mountain lions can be seen occasionally depending on the season.

Getting There

However, The U.S. Forest Service warns visitors to be careful when visiting Cache La Poudre Wilderness. The wilderness was burned almost entirely in 2012, and floods in 2013 have impacted certain areas of the wilderness and have changed its landscape.

Despite all this, the Cache La Poudre Wilderness is still worth visiting, especially for fishing. It can easily be accessed from the town of Fort Collins. Hikers can reach the Mount McConnel National Recreation Trail by departing from Fort Collins via U.S Highway 287.

Cache La Poudre Wilderness
Highway 287 through the wilderness. Photo: trover.com

Details

Nearby Towns:

  • Bellvue
  • Fort Collins

Phone: 970-295-6600

Season: Year-round

Established: 1980

Management: USFS

Website: fs.usda.gov/…

Primary Sidebar

Join our Colorado travel community

Enter your email below and grab our free locals' guide and monthly what's up designed to help you live your Colorado life and uncover fun things to do. —and never miss out again.

Recent Posts

  • 9 Best Motorcycle Rides in Colorado
  • 2022-23 Colorado Ski Resort Season Opening & Closing Dates
  • 12 Marvelous Hiking Trails near Montrose
  • Things to do in April in Colorado
  • 10 Picturesque Hiking Trails near Paonia

Footer

Get In Touch

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Resources
  • Disclaimer
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter

Disclosure: Uncover Colorado is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Things To Do

  • Travel Blog
  • Colorado Activities
  • Colorado Events
  • Colorado Towns
  • Colorado Hotels
  • Colorado Restaurants
  • Colorado Transportation
  • Made in Colorado

Cheers! Mile High Happy Hour shares showcases Denver neighborhoods' restaurant happy hours.

Winter Activities

  • Federal Lands
  • Ghost Towns
  • Hot Springs
  • Ice Skating
  • Ski Resorts
  • Snow Tubing
  • State Parks
  • Train Rides

Copyright © 2023 · Uncover Colorado | Sitemap | Advertise