“Perhaps the rebuilding of body and spirit is the greatest service derivable from our forests, for of what worth are material things if we lose the character and quality of people that are the soul of America?”

Arthur Carhart—widely regarded as a pioneer in wilderness protection—posed that question more than 90 years ago after a short visit to Colorado’s Flat Tops Wilderness Area in the White River National Forest.

This summer, standing in the same national forest as Carhart, contemplating the small waterways that call this area home, it was easy to understand where his revolutionary thinking originated. Colorado Roadless Areas (RAs) are underdeveloped locations in national forests that do not have authorized Forest Service roads. These RAs hold some of the most remote fishing in Colorado, as well as being home to a disproportionate amount of habitat for native cutthroat trout.

Read the full article on The Drake's website.