Backpacking Colorado’s Buffalo Peaks Wilderness

Perhaps the single best thing the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness has to offer is what it does not have to offer.

It does not have any huge waterfalls, nor any powerful rivers.

It has no rock pillars of note, nor daunting canyons.

None of the 58 peaks that soar to heights of 14,000 feet or more in Colorado are located within the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness, nor is it located in, or around, one of the state’s famous ski areas.

The Mosquito Range sits just to its north, with The Decalibron, Quandary Peak, Mount Sherman, and Breckenridge Ski Resort all within its grasp. To the immediate west lies the mighty Sawatch Range, with Mount Elbert and Mount Massive – the two tallest peaks in Colorado and the 2nd and 3rd tallest in the continental US – flanked by the towering Collegiate Peaks and their own series of 14ers. The towns of Buena Vista and Salida sit further to the south, with Browns Canyon National Monument and the fertile Arkansas River valley destinations for river rafters and fisherman each summer.

Really hyping up Buffalo Peaks, aren’t I?

It’s true – Buffalo Peaks Wilderness is dwarfed by its surroundings, both in round-number peaks and other immeasurable features. That’s not to say it has nothing to offer, as this is about as far from a binary 1/0 situation as it could be. Just because it isn’t a 10 out of 10 in any one category doesn’t mean it doesn’t post a lot of 7s, 8s, and 9s.

Buffalo Peaks Wilderness is the short rib when the filet mignon is one plate over. Short rib is still delicious!

It’s Lake Erie when Lake Superior is right next door. Lake Erie’s still the 11th largest lake in the world!

The thing about the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness is that people overlook all of its perks in favor of other convenient perkiness, as there is, in fact, probably somewhere close that has a little bit better of said perk to offer. The byproduct of that, though, is that there’s rarely anyone there, and being perpetual Plan B provides the perfect scenario for you to experience some pristine Colorado high country with solitude you can’t get in the nearby locales.

On top of that, it’s become one of the best places in central Colorado to see wildlife, as the elk and moose and bears and lions of the region notice how few people are there, too. With over 43,000 acres within its boundaries (and the largest herd of bighorn sheep in Colorado), it’s something of a refuge as much as it is a wilderness, with both East Buffalo Peak (13,310 feet) and West Buffalo Peak (13,326 feet) the big bumps that give name to the area despite the forest and meadows around it truly being the draw.

The Hiking

There isn’t a wide variety of trail options within the wilderness area, but what’s there can give you a plenty entertaining (and relatively casual) one, two, or three-night backpacking adventure, should you choose.

From the southern end of the wilderness at the Fourmile Trailhead, you can follow the Tumble Creek Trail north and, eventually, connect with the Rich Creek Trail to form a lollipop loop of roughly 24 total miles. There are ample established backcountry campsites at the junction of the Tumble Creek Trail and the Rich Creek Trail at roughly 6.1 miles into the trip, as well as water in the form of Fourmile Creek, making it a great spot to camp – be it on the first night, last night, or both nights of a two-night, three-day trip.

If you’re only up for the ~11.5 mile loop, however, you can start and end at the Rich Creek Trailhead and take it either clockwise or counter-clockwise. My own personal recommendation is to take it counter-clockwise, as there’s a steep elevation gain right off the bat if you do it clockwise (meaning you get to go down that as your finish to the loop if you take it counter-clockwise, with the elevation you pick up going that way much more gradual).

On the route, you’ll have wide meadows. You’ll have marshy areas that have often been flooded by beaver dams. You’ll see fishing holes on Rich Creek and Fourmile Creek, and if you’re up for bringing a rod (and a license), odds are you’ll have a memorable few interactions with the trout in the area.

I’ve been to this area a handful of times before, and it’s the perfect terrain and atmosphere for an enjoyable peaceful backpacking trip. I’ve also ridden out the most harrowing lightning storm of my life there while holed up under the boughs of a pine tree, and been awoken by a elk bugle in the pre-dawn hours that was followed immediately by the howls of coyotes. I’ve watched a pair of moose swim in ponds for an hour, and I’ve seen both bear and mountain lion tracks there – no physical sight of either, just yet. It takes very little time to understand why both predators and prey call that area home as often as they can.

If you want, you can also climb West Buffalo Peak on two separate routes – one from the junction of the Rich Creek Trail and Fourmile Trail, and the other from the north. While odds are that anyone looking to climb peaks in the area would head for the more notable ones, peaks in excess of 13,300 feet are still no joke – and, in this instance, they give you quite the platform to view the other, taller peaks just to the west.

It’s wild, it’s more devoid of humans than other areas of the state, and it even gives you every star of five-star camping you’ll need to make it the perfect spot for a weekend trek.

If you go…

• Access to the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness from the east off US-285 can be made by turning right onto either Chaffee County Route 5 or Chaffee County Route 22 (Weston Pass Road). Route 22 actually connects across the wilderness to US-24 north of Buena Vista via Chaffee County Route 7 near the Mt. Massive Lakes and the headwaters of the Arkansas River.
• For maps, there’s Trails Illustrated #129 (Buena Vista/Collegiate Peaks), though a bulk of the route described above can also be found on the east side of Trails Illustrated #148 (Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area). For a larger map of that portion of Colorado, I suggest you check out the US Forest Service’s map of the entire San Isabel National Forest.
• Always practice Leave No Trace principles when camping in Wilderness areas and National Forests.
• Most established campsites are near enough to pine forest to make hanging your food an easy option to ensure your camp is as bear-proof as it can be. Still, I’d recommend carrying bear spray in the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness.
• For more on the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness, consult the US Forest Service’s information on the area.