Bull Gulch
15,160 acres (23.7 square miles)
Setting
Bull Gulch marks the Colorado River's transition from its origin in the alpine high country to its desert path to the sea.
Dropping precipitously from a forested rim at 9,700 feet, Bull Gulch slices through the deep red sandstone formations of Maroon Bells fame as it drains into the Colorado River at an elevation of 6,400 feet. The entrance to Bull Gulch is a labyrinth of twisting corridors and sculpted bowls carved through the maroon sandstone. The sound of the big river is replaced by the tinkle of dripping seeps that line the canyon walls.
The lower reaches of Bull Gulch are covered by dense pinyon-juniper forests, yeilding to mixed sagebrush/grasslands/shrublands, which give way at higher elevations to stands of aspen, Douglas fir, blue spruce, and ponderosa pine. Bull Gulch is a bouquet of color in the fall as golden aspen highlight the red sandstone, dark green spruce and fir, and blue sky, all capped by towering cliffs of blinding white sandstone.
What's special about it?
Bull Gulch is unique among wilderness candidates in Colorado as the only area that encompasses a substantial mid-elevation tributary of the Colorado River. Bull Gulch cuts through the forested redrock country of the Colorado River drainage above Dotsero, a remarkable ecological transition point between the alpine source of the Colorado and the desert canyon country through which the river travels on its way to the sea.
The area provides important winter range for deer and elk. These populations are, in turn, prey for populations of mountain lion, bobcat, and coyote. Prairie falcons nest in the area, and hunting perches for endangered bald eagles have been identified as well.
The Colorado River provides whitewater boating opportunities along the area's western edge. Dramatic views of the Flat Tops to the west are available from the higher slopes in the eastern and southern portions of Bull Gulch.
A comprehensive survey of archeological sites has not been undertaken for Bull Gulch, but four campsites with lithic scatter and one site containing rare tipi poles have been identified.
Potential threats
No deposits of locatable minerals are known to exist within Bull Gulch. The BLM considers Bull Gulch to have low potential for oil and gas reserves. There are no mineral leases within the area and no mining claims.
Portions of five grazing allotments exist within the unit.
Bull Gulch borders the Colorado River, but none of the river's course lies within its boundaries. Several perennial streams exist within the area: Alamo Creek is entirely within the unit, and Posey Creek and Greenhorn Gulch drain from higher elevation lands east of the area. There is a 7.5 cfs diversion on Greenhorn Gulch upstream of the wilderness, and two ditches – one 5.6 cfs and the other 6.3 cfs – feed a small reservoir and other diversions on Posey Creek above the wilderness boundary.
How to get there
The proposed Bull Gulch Wilderness Area is located about 15-20 miles northeast of Dotsero, southeast of the Flat Tops Wilderness. Many trails cross through the area.
Other info
The Bull Gulch area is currently being managed by the BLM as a Wilderness Study Area.
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