Colorado is considered a bellwether state in many regards. Not the least of these is the ability of a wilderness system to survive in such close proximity to a highly populated region. The pressure placed upon the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area is extraordinary with the undisciplined and rampant development which surrounds it.

The Indian Peaks wilderness was established on October 12, 1978. It started to get even more heavily impacted by visitors; so in 1980 a citizen’s forum was organized by Dr. Anne Forrest Ketchin, Anne Vickery and Jan Robertson.

This forum held roundtable discussions which developed 27 points of agreement among a very diverse group of interested parties. The US Forest Service agreed to most of the recommendations, and thus began a long-lasting citizen/agency partnership which is soundly in place today as the Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance.

The Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance is the only private citizens nonprofit group actively protecting the Indian Peaks Wilderness on a regular basis with these volunteer programs:

Wilderness Volunteers with the Alliance provide visitor education, report trial conditions and report any hazards, monitor visitor use and adherence to Wilderness regulations, sponsor public presentations on environmental issues, and grant a scholarship each year for alpine research.