Hayes Creek
The Hayes Creek area contains 4,170 acres (6.5 square miles). It is one of four contiguous roadless areas (the others being Assignation Ridge, East Willow and Clear Fork) that together form a sprawling 94,300-acre roadless complex known as the Clear Fork Divide.
Setting
The proposed Hayes Creek Wilderness Area is at the southern end of a mid-elevation mountainous ridge that runs from Chair Mountain in the Raggeds Wilderness north to Glenwood Springs where it merges into the Grand Hogback � all part of the geologically complex eastern edge of the Colorado Plateau. This geological juncture is also an ecological link between the Southern Rockies and the Plateau; Hayes Creek, small as it is in acreage, is the keystone in this wild connection between the existing Maroon Bells and Raggeds Wilderness Areas and the Clear Fork, East Willow, Thompson Creek and Assignation Ridge roadless areas that reach deeper into the plateau country and connecting the spine of the rockies to the Grand and Battlement Mesas. All together they form a connected wild area of over 122,000 acres that is one of the centerpieces of the Hidden Gems wilderness proposal.
What's special about it?
In addition to its value as a wildlife corridor, Hayes Creek has seen little human incursion into its core due to the lack of trails and seep, mountainous hillsides flanking its east side. As such, it provides terrific wildlife security for species such as deer, elk, bear, and lynx.
Potential threats
Portions of the proposed Hayes Creek Wilderness Area have already been leased for oil and gas development and there are still undeveloped coal resources deep under Huntsman Ridge. The terribly eroded road from traveling into the area from the top of McClure pass provides a launch point for damaging ORV use along Huntsman Ridge and down into the Hayes Creek basin itself. Traveling virtually straight up the fall line, the road is an erosive mess and ought to be closed and rehabed.
How to get there
The proposed Hayes Creek Wilderness Area is located 16 miles south of Carbondale and just across the Crystal River south of Redstone. It is bounded on the east by Highway 133 between Redstone and the bottom of McClure Pass, on the north by the Forest Service Coal Creek Road 307 and the old Mine #4 Road 307.1C. On the west side it merges with the 59,395-acre Clear Fork Roadless Area on the Gunnison National Forest.
The most popular and scenic access to the area is via Forest Service Huntsman Ridge Road 517, which begins on the north side of Highway 133 just 2 tenths of a mile east of McClure Pass. Parking is available at the trailhead or on the south side of the highway at the top of the pass. The Huntsman Ridge Road is currently open to all modes of transportation in the summer, but to protect the route from further erosion and to fully enjoy the surrounding wild areas we recommend hiking it. The road is closed to motorized use in the winter, making Huntsman Ridge a local favorite for snowshoeing and telemarking.
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