Tucked away in the northeast San Juan, bordering the La Garita Wilderness to the south, is a very special little spot known by a relative few. Its existence might as well remain unknown, because getting to it is a time consuming challenge. So tiny and forgotten, this interesting hiking destination is so unusual it deserves to be listed at SummitPost, if for no other reason than it is so striking and surreal. You might as well be visiting another planet.

This is the Wheeler Geologic Area. Once proclaimed a national monument, the status was later rescinded because it was so hard to get to, and it would not be easily tamed to cater to the tourists that might manage to make the arduous journey. So the secret of the magnificent Wheeler Monument faded into obscurity, which was no doubt a blessing in disguise. Today, intrepid and tenacious explorers with patience, four-wheeling skills and a love of exploration on foot are the only visitors. Even so, Wheeler sees few folks compared to other nearby attractions, and most of its day is blanketed by a smothering silence and an occasional San Juan breeze.

The surrounding San Juan mountains were formed by volcanic activity. Major eruptions deposited a layer of ash, varying in depth over the region to as deep as five hundred feet. Buried and compressed into rock, then uplifted and exposed to the elements, this gray volcanic “tuff” layer tended to erode in interesting ways over the centuries that followed. Evident around Creede, Lake City, near Uncompahgre Peak and at the Window near the Rio Grande Pyramid, the bizarre tuff formations added another unique touch to the allure of the San Juans. But nowhere are the tuff formations more spectacular and wonderfully strange than at Wheeler.

Water chutes, towers, balanced rocks, narrow grottos, pinnacles and eggs of stone create a maze of unearthly character. Hikers will explore Wheeler for hours and not see it all, despite its compact nature of one square mile. This is a place of wonder, fascination and discovery. You’ll never see anything like it anywhere else. Welcome to planet Wheeler!

In the spirit of submissions to SummitPost such as Island in the Sky, Black Ridge and Grand Canyon, Wheeler Geologic Area is offered, albeit on a much smaller scale. Because of its remote location and practically unknown status, Wheeler remains a very special place that is worth your time and effort, should you ever get the opportunity to discover it.

Getting There

The challenge of Wheeler is getting there. A good dependable 4WD vehicle is required, along with considerable 4WD experience. Navigate your way to South Fork, Colorado, at the junction of highways 160 and 149. Proceed on highway 149 NW out of South Fork toward Creede.

1 mile west of Wagon Wheel Gap on Highway 149 is the marked turn-out for Wheeler on the Spring Gulch road (FSR600). If coming from Creede, head east out of town on Highway 149 for just under 8 miles to this turn-out.

Take this county dirt road northeast up into the high rolling hills and forests that seem to spread in an endless expanse in every direction. The road is winding at first as it climbs out of the Rio Grande valley, but it is graded and maintained most of the year. In late summer and fall, this road is a very dusty affair. Follow this road northeast as it seems to wander aimlessly through a procession of forests and meadows. Well marked signs will guide you. Stay on FSR600.

Then, after a sign directs you left, the road will pass through a minor impromptu parking area where the fearful park their vehicles. The road becomes rough and narrow immediately beyond. Tight passages through trees, teetering on hardened ruts, tip-toeing over fields of pointed rocks, crawling in an out of one gully after another, off camber obstacles…these are the challenges that await the tenacious driver bound for Wheeler on the Pool Table road. Maintaining altitude, this road wanders around the base of the expansive flat topped Pool Table mountain to the east and north. The La Garita wilderness is not far beyond, but to the south, a vast expanse of forest and meadows makes one think the route plows through the middle of nowhere every bit as pristine as wilderness.

After many gullies and long treks through grassland on a double track road that often looks forgotten, the road will gradually curve around to the north and head for the trees. A winding route through the forest and mud holes might have your vehicle come close to getting intimate with any number of trees through here. Again, care and patience will get you through it, and you’re about to receive payment for your trouble.

The road ends abruptly at a fence about an eighth of a mile south of Wheeler. Parking is impromptu and limited.

4WD experience will get you through the challenges presented by the Pool Table Road. Patience is required. It’s a 45 mile round trip from and back to Highway 149. It takes two hours minimum to drive the route one way.

When To Visit

Wheeler Amphitheater

Summer: Thunderstorms can alter the road instantly. 4WD experience and a versatile vehicle recommended.

Fall: Best time to visit, but the road will be dusty. The area is popular with hunters. Wear bright orange clothing.

Spring: Pool Table Road is closed in the spring. In a dry year, it might open by Memorial Day.

Winter: Forget it. It is possible snowmobiles can access the area. It is unlikely a snowmobile’s gas tank has the capacity to reach Wheeler.

Camping

Undeveloped camp site possibilities abound along Pool Table Road.

It is possible to drive to Wheeler and camp there. Wheeler is adjacent to the La Garita Wilderness. Please observe wilderness protocols. Water sources are unreliable, so bring plenty of your own. Expect the wildlife to be sociable, as the local denizens are not familiar with the concept of fear. Don’t be surprised if you are visited by bears, as this is very remote country.

Area Conditions

Creede and Central San Juan Weather

GOES Western US Satellite Image

Any information concerning conditions must be considered as an estimate at best. Wheeler is in a remote location, connected to the La Garita Wilderness. Not only would it be difficult to know the condition of the area, not many folks will care!

Do not venture into the Wheeler rocks in wet conditions! The chance of a fall into grottos and deep cracks would be dramatically increased.

Backpacking Alternatives

The shortest backpacking alternative to Wheeler is the Hanson Mill to Pool Table Road Route, 14 miles round trip (see ROUTES section, upper left).

The following backpacking options are long, although the terrain is not difficult. Water sources and quality are questionable. Any information submitted concerning these routes is appreciated, if not unlikely. Submissions will be integrated into this text as soon as possible. Thanks!

FARMERS CREEK TRAIL: North of Wasson Ranch 13 miles one way. Possible access issues.
DRY GULCH: North of Wasson Ranch 13.5 miles one way. Possible access issues.
INSPIRATION POINT: Starts on east side of Creede, intercepts Dry Gulch Trail. 14.5 miles one way.
OUTLET MINE: Starts at mine, intercepts Inspiration Point Trail due east. 13 miles one way.
LA GARITA STOCK DIVEWAY: Starts at Pheonix Park 4.5 miles north of Creede. 6 miles in, take spur trail south to Inspiration Point trail route. 13 miles one way.

History

While compiling this history, I was amazed at the dates upon which Wheeler's fate was affected and decided. I highlighted them in red because the cooincidences are striking.

North of Wheeler, on the other side of the La Garita mountains, John C. Fremont led his expedition of 36 men into the area during the winter of 1848. He intended to demonstrate that the railroad could penetrate the Colorado Rockies in winter. His expedition was instead met with disaster. San Juan storms dumped legendary amounts of snow that year. Stranded, the expedition erected a semi-permanent home at Christmas Camp. As the men languished, they watched a hundred mules die in one night. In desperation, Fremont sent a party to New Mexico for assistance.

Those remaining at Christmas Camp survived on mule meat, and when that food source was gone, they supposedly turned on each other. True or not, the cannibalism account haunted Fremont for years to come. Explorer Kit Carson (that the Colorado 14er is named after) rode in to rescue the few survivors. Remnants of the expedition’s plight remain today, largely in the four-foot tree stumps. The trees were cut for firewood.

Years later Wheeler was discovered, but remained a secret until brought to the President's attention by Gifford Pinchot. On December 7, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Wheeler a National Monument, in honor of Captain George Wheeler who led the War Department's surveying team through Colorado in 1874.

The anticipated visitors never came. The 1920s saw the advent of the automobile, and Wheeler's isolation and lack of roads made easy, leisurely visitation difficult. Accessible only by horseback or on foot, the monument was visited by one hundred people annually during the 1920s.

In 1933 President Franklin D. Roosevelt reorganized the government and Wheeler was transferred from the Forest Service to the National Park Service. Wheeler remained surrounded by National Forest land, and no one was assigned to watch over it. This and the continuing access problems caused the Park Service to ignore Wheeler, citing logistics.

Congress abolished Wheeler on August 3,1950, and the Rio Grande National Forest became the steward. And so it went with Colorado’s first National Monument, lost in a sea of bureaucracy. Obviously, this was a blessing in disguise, only to be realized much later.

Although the Forest Service doubled the protected area in 1962, construction of a nearby gravel logging road caused local controversy in the late 1960s. Four-wheeling uses increased, causing damage to the terrain. Wheeler itself had been driven on by thoughtless four wheelers. The Denver Post decried this outrage, and the public reacted straight away. On September 11, 1969, Wheeler and the immediate area was closed to all vehicles, and it was designated the Wheeler Geologic Area.

Wheeler, neglected for so many years, would become the center of controversy, and later, a secret jewel for us to enjoy today. Some may consider the Wheeler matter unresolved. The important matter is that Wheeler is protected, so that it may be preserved in its pristine state for many to enjoy in the future. To get to this point has been a long rocky road for Wheeler. How appropriate! Sounds like the Pool Table Road!

Legendary and charasmatic historical "celebrities" that passed through the area and visited the town of Creede during Colorado's colorful history:
Bat Masterson (lawman), Soapy Smith (con artist), Poker Alice (tough cigar smoking poker player), Frank & Jessie James (outlaws), Bob Ford (shot and killed Jessie James in the back in his saloon in Creede), Ed O'Kelly (lawman, shot and killed Bob Ford in Ford's saloon), Calamity Jane (gunslinging poker player).

Other SummitPost Destinations

Below is a collection of links of other SP pages that are unique in that they are not mountains or crags, and some other type of natural feature is offered. Outstanding stuff! Enjoy!

The Wave

Moorea

Erg Chebbi

Island in the Sky

Dinosaur Lake

Black Ridge

Calico Hills

Gem Canyon

External Links

La Garita Wilderness
Information and background on this remote wilderness area.

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