National Monument status for Browns Canyon in Colorado's Arkansas River Valley was a dream in the hearts and minds of many. About ten years ago, local citizens in Salida, Colorado, members of the Arkansas River Outfitters Association (AROA) and the whitewater community began working with state lawmakers to protect this area of public land. Their hard work paid off - Browns Canyon was designated a National Monument in February 2015. This area of 22,000 acres is jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service in cooperation with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife through the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA).
"It is so exciting to see Browns Canyon designated to ensure the area will remain open to whitewater boating, fishing, hiking and other recreational pursuits as well as preserve Colorado's outdoor legacy and economy," said Mike Kissack, AROA President.
Browns Canyon offers a rugged landscape of striking beauty, rich biodiversity and abundant wildlife, such as elk, deer, mountain lions, black bears, bighorn sheep and golden and bald eagles. It stretches between Buena Vista and Salida in Chaffee County, Colorado at elevations that range from 7,300 to 10,000 feet.
The Friends of Browns Canyon describe the area as consisting of, "...the riparian corridor, stunning rock spires, hoodoos, and granite outcroppings. Wooded drainages lead from the river to upland areas covered with aspen, limber pines, Douglas firs, and subalpine grasslands. The variety of terrain in such a small space and relatively low elevation make Browns Canyon National Monument unique among all of Colorado's protected public lands."
BENEFITS OF A NATIONAL MONUMENT DESIGNATION
The protection offered by National Monument status is important to all visitors, but especially AROA members. "I go through that canyon almost every day. In my mind, the best thing about the designation is because it offers protection to a space that means a lot to many people. It's incredible and hopefully it'll stay the way it is, maintaining its natural beauty forever. It's being managed really well right now," said Brandon Slate, owner of Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center.
Joe Greiner, owner of Wilderness Aware Rafting, believes one benefit is the Canyon gets recognized for the rugged characteristics best viewed by raft rather than as a development alternative. "People love that they can float through the area and know that the wilderness characteristics are intact, that there's a place in that environment that is untouched. The economic value of wilderness is simply knowing it's there."
Many anticipate significant economic value from the designation. A report generated by Headwaters Economics entitled, "The Value of Public Lands: Lessons for Communities & Businesses Around Browns Canyon," shows that rural areas like the Arkansas River Valley can look forward to increases in population, employment, personal income and per capita income following the national Monument designation.
But most agree it's too early yet to see that kind of impact. Bob Hamel, owner of Arkansas River Tours says, "It's only been one year since the designation and the numbers don't show there's been a big increase. Brown's Canyon was already the most popular section of the Arkansas River."
Greiner believes there may be another reason why there hasn't been a big jump in visitors. "It's still very early because the monument isn't on the maps and guidebooks yet. We don't get a lot of calls from people. But they're super pleased it has been protected when they learn about it. There's definitely more interest now and they're curious to know, 'What's it like up there?'"
Mark Hammer, owner of The Adventure Company is also enthusiastic about the designation. "The Canyon is well deserving of national monument status. There is broad appeal to Browns Canyon, from the banana belt climate to views of some of Colorado's tallest mountains and opportunities to see wildlife, etc. It's a canyon that is separated from any road, so the best access is by raft. It gives you a feeling of remoteness and you don't get that on any other river."
RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Indeed, the best way to experience Browns Canyon is by raft. Over 90,000 people visited Browns Canyon on commercial rafts in 2014 according to AROA Member Joe Greiner, Arkansas Headwater Recreational Area (AHRA) reporting and an Economic Impact Study by the Colorado River Outfitters Association.
Hammer continues, "And I have never seen an intermediate section of river, which is available to almost everyone, that is so accessible and has so many other amenities. There are ten rapids over 9.5 miles, which is great quality rafting. It's packed with whitewater compared to what most rivers in the U.S. offer. Put all that together and I would call it a raft trip that's hard to beat."
Fishing is also a big attraction and the ability to camp overnight in the canyon is an added bonus for anglers. Hamel said, "At Arkansas River Tours, we have an overnight float fishing trip in Browns Canyon. We float fish water that is very rarely fished due to access. What defines this section of river are the never-ending pocket water, bush banks and deep pools. We try to time our trips to miss the busy whitewater rafting trips. We go in there after the whitewater trips are down stream so we don't see them. We launch late afternoon and float fish from rafts until we reach our riverside campsite where walk/wade opportunities await. We will serve a steak dinner and a hot breakfast on this trip. In the morning we continue our float and we're out by noon."
Greiner offers another camping trip option. "Our company does a multi-day trip on the Arkansas River. It is self-contained; we pack all our camping gear including portable toilet, kitchen, etc. We pull over to an undeveloped site and leave it as we found it. There are spectacular views of the Collegiate Peaks from our camp site. It's the easiest most comfortable camping you can do in a wilderness. You can camp in a National Monument without having to backpack in."
But many want to experience Brown's Canyon by getting off the water and onto a trail. Slate, who says his company's philosophy is "choose your own adventure," said that people who do know it's a national monument all want to go hiking while they're there. "They ask, 'Are we going to get to hike? Are there any cool hikes we can do?' Right now it's pretty wild and there's only a couple of trails you can use."
The best trailhead access is just east of the Ruby Mountain Campground within the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area. Downloadable trail maps are available at http://brownscanyon.org/map/.To give visitors more information, Greiner opened up a National Monument Visitors Center at his Wilderness Aware Rafting office and also has a downloadable map at inaraft.com/bcnm. "We are drawing people off the highway who are first learning about the Monument. It's interesting. A lot of retired people want to see it and they ask, 'How do you drive into it?' Well, you have to hike in or see it by raft."
A SUCCESS STORY
No matter how you choose to explore the Browns Canyon National Monument, it is a success story that inspires awe and appreciation for the wonders of nature. The area's outstanding resources and recreational opportunities offer a treasure trove of water, wildlife and wilderness within the reach of most everyone. Whether you are drawn from across the ocean, another U.S. state or within Colorado, you can bet it will be among the most memorable outdoor immersion experiences you've ever had!
Interviews:
