James Peak Wilderness
| James Peak Wilderness | |
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IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
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James Peak in the James Peak Wilderness
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| Location | Gilpin / Clear Creek counties, Colorado, USA |
| Nearest city | Black Hawk, CO |
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Area | 17,015 acres (68.86 km2) |
| Established | 2002 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
The James Peak Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in north central Colorado in the Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests. The wilderness area borders Indian Peaks Wilderness to the north and the James Peak Protection Area to the west.[1]
Geography
The wilderness area encompasses 17,015 acres (69 km2) immediately east of the Continental Divide in Gilpin County and Clear Creek County. The wilderness is named after its second tallest mountain, 13,294-foot (4,052 m) James Peak. Parry Peak is the highest peak in the James Peak Wilderness, at 13,391 feet (4,082 m).[2]
History
The wilderness was established by H.R.1576 in the 107th Congress (2001). The Peak was named after Edwin James, pioneer and botanist. Originally Pikes Peak was named James Peak prior to Pike's exploration journey. After the renaming to Pikes Peak, the current James Peak was named.[3]
