Gallo Hill

1,651 acres (2.6 square miles)

How to get there
The proposed Gallo Hill Addition to the Maroon Bells Wilderness Area is located south of Carbondale on the east side of the Crystal River, spanning from Nettle Creek to Marble. Access is from State Highway (SH) 133.

• The short Nettle Creek Road (FS 313), 7 miles south of Carbondale, goes from SH 133 to the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness boundary. This is the northern boundary of the unit.
• Avalanche Creek Road (FS 310) is the main road that enters the unit. This ends at the popular Avalanche Creek Trailhead. This trail (1959) enters the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness Area.
• To reach Gallo Hill, turn east toward Marble from SH 133. Public access can be found at the Lily Lake trailhead (1964), and the Carbonate Creek trailhead (1971) in Marble.
• The USGS 7 1/2’ quads for the Gallo Hill RA are Mount Sopris, Redstone, Placita, Chair Mountain, and Marble.

Setting
In the Crystal River, with the exception of the Avalanche Creek valley floor, the terrain consists of very steep west-facing slopes towering 3,000 feet above the Crystal River. These slopes are made up of extensive sandstone (and some granite) outcrops and cliffs. The vegetation within the unit consists of dense stands of Gambel oak and aspen, as well as some Douglas fir and spruce/fir forest. The elevation ranges from 6,500 feet on the Crystal River to 9,422 feet above the Redstone Campground.
Gallo Hill is the steeply eroded hill that faces south, above the Town of Marble.

What’s special about it?
The proposed Gallo Hill Wilderness Area provides an important mid-elevation addition to the W and SW side of the high-elevation Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness Area. This allows the abundant and diverse wildlife to reach the Crystal River easily, which provides critical winter range for bighorn sheep and elk. Look for bighorn sheep in Filoha Meadows across from Penny Hot Springs. Peregrine falcons nest in the cliffs of this area, and Avalanche Creek supports a major fishery. Bighorn sheep lambing may occur in the Gallo Hill area.
According to the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Avalanche Creek (very high), Kline Creek (high), and Gift Creek (moderate) all contain significant montane riparian forest habitat. The unit is adjacent to the Kline Creek Research Natural Area. The Crystal River is under consideration for Wild, Scenic & Recreational River designation.

Potential threats
Because of the potential increase in development of private lands along the Crystal River may, protecting the natural character of the lower elevation public lands takes on all the more importance. An active alabaster mine in lower Avalanche Creek is extremely noisy, according to neighbors, and likely disturbs wildlife in the area. The rugged nature of the terrain within the RA limits the potential for timber or mineral exploration.