Vermillion sunset

Credit: Sam Cox

Vermillion Basin, a little-known treasure that Colorado citizens and our supporters have campaigned to protect in Colorado’s western canyon country is now officially protected from what once seemed imminent oil and gas drilling. Wilderness Society staff, local Colorado partner groups and western Colorado citizens were celebrating Oct. 17, just after the Bureau of Land Management’s Little Snake Field Office finalized the decision to protect Vermillion Basin from oil and gas leasing and development as part of its resource management plan for the area. Region:  Central Rockies Read more

Yampa River in northwest Colorado

Credit: Soren Jespersen

 Rafting through Greater Dinosaur on the Yampa River is one of the best ways to experience this wild and remote area of western Colorado.  The Yampa River—the largest free-flowing tributary of the Colorado River Basin –flows for over 250 miles through northwestern Colorado from the heights of the Flat Tops Wilderness through the towns of Steamboat Springs and Craig to its confluence with the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument.  Region:  Central Rockies Read more

Vermillion Basin in Colorado. Photo by Soren Jespersen.

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in Wilderness Magazine, our annual publication that features in-depth coverage and features about the day’s most pressing conservation issues. Become a member and receive a free copy! By Jennie Lay Read more