Entry No. 38 — the Durango file — filed under: volcanic-geology
Wheeler Geologic Area
This was Colorado's very first national monument — designated by Teddy Roosevelt in 1908 — then quietly stripped of that status in 1950 because it was too hard to reach. What Congress abandoned is a silent city of cream-and-ochre volcanic tuff spires erupted from the La Garita caldera, columns and fins and hoodoos that look like something hauled in from Cappadocia and then forgotten. Getting here costs you either an 8.4-mile round-trip hike through spruce and aspen, or a white-knuckle 14-mile 4WD road that earns every inch. Almost nobody comes, which is the whole point.
The story
Teddy Roosevelt signed off on Wheeler in 1908, making it Colorado’s very first national monument. Millions of years earlier, the La Garita caldera blew its top in one of the largest explosive volcanic events in Earth's history, burying the region in ash and tuff. Over eons, freeze-thaw cycles and rain carved that soft cream-and-ochre stone into a silent, dense cityscape of jagged spires, chalky fins, and towering hoodoos. But by 1950, Congress did something almost unheard of: they took the monument status back.
The issue wasn't the scenery; it was the sheer difficulty of getting anyone out to see it. Congress quietly stripped Wheeler of its federal title and handed the land over to the U.S. Forest Service, deciding the remote location was simply too unmanageable to maintain as a tourist site. Today, tucked inside the La Garita Wilderness, the abandoned monument sits largely untouched, looking less like the Rocky Mountains and more like an ancient, bleached stone metropolis dropped onto a alpine ridge.
What it's like
Visiting Wheeler means committing to the journey. You have two ways in off Pool Table Road near Creede: pick your way along an 8.4-mile one-way trail on foot, or wrestle a high-clearance 4WD vehicle through a brutal 14-mile crawl of deep ruts and boulder fields. When you finally reach the perimeter, there are no ranger stations, no paved walkways, and no trash cans. You get a dirt path winding beneath fragile, pale-yellow rock chimneys and a total absence of crowd noise. Pack every drop of water you need, start early to clear the high terrain before afternoon lightning hits, and don't expect a single bar of cell service.
The move: Drive the 4WD road in early morning to catch the tuff spires in low-angle light, eat lunch in the ghost-city of formations, and hike back out through the meadow before afternoon storms roll in.
📍 Before you go Two access options: (1) hike the 8.4-mile (one-way) trail from Pool Table Road trailhead — moderate but long; (2) drive the 14-mile 4WD road off Pool Table Road — high-clearance 4WD required, not suitable for ATVs. Road and trail both pass through Rio Grande National Forest. Snow typically closes access from late fall through late spring. No facilities on-site. Dispersed camping available along approach roads.
- 📍 South Fork / Creede
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Hours: Added 2026-06-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Hinsdale County Museum — Pair the solitude of Colorado's forgotten first monument with a stop in Lake City to see a real skull fragment from maneater Alferd Packer.
- Rainbow Hot Springs — Follow up the grueling 14-mile drive or 17-mile trek into Wheeler with a soak in these non-commercial, hand-built rock hot springs down near Pagosa Springs.
- Animas Forks Mine and Ghost Town — Match Wheeler's abandoned natural spires with the high-altitude wooden ruins of a 1800s mining boomtown sitting at 11,200 feet.
Good to know
Why was Wheeler stripped of its National Monument status?
Designated by Teddy Roosevelt in 1908, the site was too remote and hard to reach for early 20th-century tourists. In 1950, Congress revoked its monument status and returned administration to the Rio Grande National Forest.
How do I reach the Wheeler Geologic Area?
Turn off near Creede onto Pool Table Road. From there, you can either hike the 8.4-mile (one-way) trail into the La Garita Wilderness or drive a high-clearance 4WD vehicle along the challenging 14-mile primitive road.
Are there water or restroom facilities on-site?
No. There are zero facilities, water spigots, or restrooms at Wheeler Geologic Area. You must carry in all food and water and pack out all waste.
Is Wheeler Geologic Area open year-round?
No. Snow typically closes both Pool Table Road and the access trails from late autumn through late spring.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · 5280 · coloradoencyclopedia.org · fs.usda.gov
last checked: 2026-06-21