![]() The Flat Tops are part of the White River Plateau with an average elevation of about 10,000 feet. It’s no wonder Carhart found the area so entrancing: behind Trappers Lake loom steep volcanic cliffs and beyond them a vast subalpine terrain yields to alpine tundra. Flat Tops, also known as the “Cradle of Wilderness,” is where the idea of wilderness was first applied to public land. However, what Carhart saw and experienced at Trappers Lake compelled him to strongly recommend to his supervisors that the area remain undeveloped. Carhart’s task was to survey the area to build a recreational housing development of summer cottages. In 1919, Arthur Carhart, a Forest Service landscape architect, realized the uniqueness of the location when he stood on the shoreline of Trappers Lake. The White River National Forest has a longstanding tradition of promoting wilderness stewardship. Flat Tops is Colorado's second largest Wilderness, a precious expanse of open land. All of this wilderness is located in Colorado and is managed by the White River and Routt National Forests. ![]() The United States Congress designated the Flat Tops Wilderness in 1975 and it now has a total of 235,214 acres. ![]()
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