Everything an angler needs to know about fly fishing the Flat Tops Wilderness Area! The Flat Tops, located in west-central Colorado, is an angler’s paradise with trout-laden lakes, ponds, and streams crisscrossing this vast wilderness. Al Marlowe, a fly fisherman for more than forty years, shares with you the best spots to fly fish, how to get there, which trout species are where, GPS coordinates, lake elevations, fish stocking information, topo maps for orientation, and helpful contact information. Each chapter will cover a section of the Colorado river and provides information on access, parking, seasons, hatches, recommended equipment, and fly patterns.

This book is the only comprehensive guide to the Flat Tops Wilderness. The Flat Tops Wilderness Area is unique, a high plateau at 11,000 feet. Its nearly flat surface is covered with woodlands and alpine meadows, pockmarked with hundreds of lakes and drained by mountain streams. The wilderness is accessed by a network of trails for hikers and horseback riders alike. A visitor could spend an entire season here and not see all of this magnificent wilderness. The Hiking and Camping Guide to the Flat Tops Wilderness gives detailed directions to each trailhead and describes what you will find along the many trails. You will discover the many wonders of the Flat Tops; its geologic history from the episodes of mountain building and subsistence, and inundation by warm seas; the periods of volcanism and succeeding ice ages; and the first visitors to this remarkable land. The wildlife of the region, the flora and fauna, the weather, and seasons are all described. You will also learn common sense ways to protect wilderness environment as well as yourself on a visit to this incomparable land. Arthur Carhart was said to have been so inspired by the area that it sparked the ideas fundamental to the Wilderness Act of 1964. Known as “the Cradle of Wilderness” the area, and this book, includes infamous trails like the stunning Devil’s Causeway and lesser known trails like Wall Lake Trail. Readers will find detailed maps, history and flora and fauna, regulations and hazards, as well as tips on how to avoid altitude sickness in the book. Author Al Marlowe has backpacked, hiked, fished, and camped in the Flat Tops for over 50 years and shares his insider knowledge with adventurers in this book. Co-author Karen Rae Christopherson is a geophysicist by education and training and shares her expertise, as well, rounding out this guide as a complete resource for travelers seeking to explore the area.