Welcome to the Colorado backcountry

The vast acreage of wilderness and backcountry beauty in Colorado make it one of the more popular locations for camping, backpacking, and day-hiking.

In addition to a eight National Parks and Monuments, Colorado boasts an equal number of Wilderness Areas, millions of acres of National Forest and BLM land, and over three dozen state parks.

From mountains to deserts, and grasslands to canyons, one could spend a lifetime hiking the trails of Colorado and not cover all of them.

Marble, Colorado

Marble, Colorado is an unsightly little town nestled in one of the most beautiful valleys you'll ever see.  Sandwiched between the Raggeds and Snowmass-Maroon Bells wilderness areas, and with Lead King Basin to the east, Marble is a great jumping-off point for many backcountry trips.

The Marble airstrip is quiet for all but a couple weekends a year.



Backpacking and day-hikes, horseback trips, and fishing are just a few of the many things you can do in the Crystal River valley around Marble.

Some of my favorite hikes in the area are Carbonate Creek, North Lost Creek, Geneva Lake, and Yule Creek.  Backpackers will want to hike into Lead King Basin, where there are many campsites, and the scenery is unparalleled.

The Chair Mountain Ranch has cabins you can rent for any length of time.  Dave and Linda are great hosts, and will do all they can to ensure you have a great stay.

Marble is about twenty five miles south of Carbondale.  Take Highway 133 south to Gunnison County Road 3 (affectionately known as "the Marble road").
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