Gothic Natural Area

Location:   Gunnison County
Size:    1490 acres
Designated:   October, 1980
Land Manager:   United States Forest Service
 
Gothic Natural Area contains virgin stands of Engelmann spruce - subalpine fir forest, typical of the upper montane ecosystem of western Colorado. The area ranges in elevation from 10,000 feet at the East River to 12,809 feet at the summit of Mt. Baldy and includes high elevation features such as glacial cirques, moraines, talus slopes and high alpine lakes.

This area also provides an outstanding resource for research and education.  Researchers from the nearby Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory use the Gothic Research Natural Area for a variety of projects.