Gallo Hill
1,650 acres (2.6 square miles)
Setting
Gallo Hill is the steeply eroded hill that faces southeast above the Town of Marble. The surrounding roadless area consists primarily of broad forested slopes on a S-SW aspect. The area includes world-class aspen stands, as well as spruce/fir forest. The elevation ranges from 8,000 feet near the Crystal River to 10,800 feet above Gallo Hill.
What's special about it?
The proposed Gallo Hill Wilderness Area provides an important mid-elevation buffer along the SW side of the high-elevation Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness Area. This allows the area's abundant and diverse wildlife to access the Crystal River valley, which provides critical winter range for bighorn sheep and elk. The area also helps to provide a corridor between the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness and the Raggeds Wilderness. Bighorn sheep lambing occurs in the Gallo Hill area. The Crystal River is under consideration for Wild, Scenic & Recreational River designation.
Potential threats
Because of increasing development of private lands in the upper Crystal River valley, protecting the natural character of the mid-elevation public lands takes on all the more importance. Private lands adjacent to the Gallo Hill area have at one time been slated for hundreds of private homes.
How to get there
The proposed Gallo Hill Addition to the Maroon Bells Wilderness Area is located just northwest of the Town of Marble.
- Public access to the western portion of the area is via the Placita Trail (1966), which starts on a side road off of Hwy 133 about 3.2 miles south of Redstone. After a steep 1.5-mile ascent on the Placita Trail, head south and generally downhill on the Lily Lake Trail (1964) to the Gallo Hill area. Unfortunately the more direct southern approach, via the Lily Lake Trail, isn't possible because the trailhead is on private land.
- Access is to the eastern tip of the Gallo Hill Addition is via the Carbonate Creek Trail(1971), off of County Rd 3, at the east end of Marble.
- The USGS 7 1/2' quads for the Gallo Hill RA are Chair Mountain and Marble.
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