Backcountry Conservation

Efforts to save the High Elk Corridor began in 1997 when the Land Trust partnered with Crested Butte Mountain Resort and Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL)  to purchase 74 acres of the Schofield Townsite, located between the towns of Gothic and Marble in the High Elk Corridor. During this initial acquisition, it became clear that other privately owned parcels within the corridor were at risk for development.

Together with a consortium of land trusts, local governments, and individuals, the Land Trust helped form the Friends of the High Elk Corridor, a group focused on purchasing and conserving inholdings nestled in between the Maroon Bells-Snowmass and Ragged Wilderness.

In 2002, the Trust for Public Land, a nationwide nonprofit, joined the efforts to raise money to purchase and conserve as many acres of the over 6,000 acres in the High Elk Corridor as possible. Today, the Land Trust continues to work with landowners and have identified 2,500 acres as top priority for investment due to development risk and biological sensitivity.

Located next to the Schofield Townsite is North Pole Basin, distinctive for its importance to larger conservation efforts and scientific research. The Basin is also directly north of and complements research done at The Nature Conservancy’s Mexican Cut Preserve, a 300-acre parcel managed by RMBL. Research on acid rain at Mexican Cut was responsible, in part, for the inclusion of provisions to protect air in the western US during the revision of the Clean Air Act in the early 1990s. In 2013 and with the help of RMBL and Crested Butte Mountain Resort, the Land Trust made the first step in completing the long-awaited conservation goal of preserving North Pole Basin.

This $2 million project was made possible thanks to the diligent efforts and collaboration of public and private funding partners. The lead funder, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), was created by voters in 1992 to use Colorado Lottery revenues to preserve, protect, enhance, and manage the state’s wildlife, parks, rivers, trails, and open spaces. Local funders included the Gunnison Valley Land Preservation Board and 1% for Open Space, both of which made significant contributions to the project. The project was also funded by the Gates Family Foundation as well as other generous private donations. Four years later, an additional 7.75 acres of prime habitat were added to conservation efforts in the North Pole Basin area through the purchase of the Discovery Lode mining claim. Today, the North Pole Basin property is owned by RMBL with a conservation easement held by the Land Trust.

In October of 2023, the Crested Butte Land Trust became the co-holder of a conservation easement at the historic Colorado Outward Bound School Basecamp in Marble, CO, purchased by the Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVLT).

Nestled in the heart of Colorado’s majestic mountains, Basecamp West represents more than just a piece of land; it’s a promise to future generations. Since 1962, this 42-acre parcel was owned and operated by Outward Bound as a campus for youth outdoor education, until programming ended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Basecamp West was purchased by AVLT with support from Pitkin County, Gunnison County, Great Outdoors Colorado, the City of Aspen, and private donors. This parcel sits adjacent to the Chapin Wright Marble Basecamp, also owned by AVLT and where the Crested Butte Land Trust holds the conservation easement. By purchasing Basecamp West, AVLT will be able to expand equitable access to outdoor programming for surrounding communities. Protecting Basecamp West also preserves wildlife migration corridors, watersheds, and recreational spaces, ensuring future generations benefit from this unique landscape. The Crested Butte Land Trust is honored to work with AVLT on this project by co-holding a conservation easement on the parcel with Pitkin County.

The Land Trust works to acquire backcountry inholdings that belong in the public trust, helping create undisturbed, continuous landscapes. These efforts protect fragile alpine ecosystems, wildlife corridors, and critical watersheds while preventing future development.

Over the past several years, the Land Trust has secured key high-elevation mining claims across the Gunnison Valley. In 2021, two mining claim parcels totaling 20.66 acres were acquired at the peak of Cinnamon Mountain, a well-loved summit along the Paradise Divide skyline. Although the public had long accessed these parcels, they remained private property. By securing these inholdings, the Land Trust ensured permanent public access and protected the mountain’s sensitive alpine habitat from future development.

Building on these efforts, the Land Trust acquired the 7.23-acre Broadaxe mining claim in 2023, followed by five additional mining claims totaling over 44 acres in February 2025. These backcountry inholdings, often remnants of the region’s mining history, are scattered across the Gunnison Valley’s high country and feature a mix of subalpine forests, lakeshores, and rugged mountain terrain.

With each acquisition, the Land Trust strengthens its commitment to safeguarding these wild landscapes—preserving their ecological integrity, maintaining recreational access, and ensuring the heart of the high country remains protected for future generations.