East of the mountain complex near Dillon Reservoir are thousands of acres of White River National Forest. Colorado Parks and Wildlife estimates a Rocky Mountain bighorn herd of 50 bighorns.
Bark beetles have killed thousands of acres of forest and the dead trees create very hazardous conditions during high winds. The 14,000' peaks can create a difficult hunt above the timberline.
Torreys, Greys Peaks, Grizzly, Argentine Peaks, Mount Edwards, Argentine Pass and Loveland Pass are all areas above the timberline along the Continental Divide. Horseshoe Basin sits at 12,000 feet and is the headwaters of Peru Creek. Ruby Gulch is steep and rocky as it winds down to Greys Peak. Thurman Gulch heads up the western slopes of 12,000 foot Lenawee Mountain.
Lush alpine meadows are covered with wildflowers. Rock outcroppings have moss, lichens, willows near seeps and snow melt ponds. On slopes below 11,500 feet large, dense stands of spruce, fir and pine broken up by open grassy parks are found. Dropping lower in elevation, groves of aspen, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, willows and cottonwoods line the landscape and creek bottoms. Ridges close to the valley floor are made up of sagebrush, oak brush, mountain mahogany and grasses.
Roughly 131 square miles
89.9% public land
Elevations from 8,900-14,270 feet
White River National Forest offers thousands of acres of mountain terrain. Interstate 70 connects with U.S. Highway 6 at Eisenhower Tunnel. County Road 260 (Peru Creek Road) heads east from Montezuma Road north of community of Montezuma. Peru Road connects with Chihuahua Gulch. Mountain trails can become hazardous during periods of heavy rain.
White River National Forest has campgrounds near Dillon like Prospector, Peak One, Pine Cone and Heaton Bay. Dillon, Silverthorne and Frisco are summer and winter destination communities. There are lots of choices for motels, cabin rentals, hotels and bed and breakfasts. A wide variety of cafe and restaurants are available that will fit any budget. Regional hospital facilities are close to this area. Fuel is available 24/7.