Wilson Peak

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Blind climber Erik Weihenmayer on Wilson Peak.

Credit: Ryan Ross

Wilson Peak, near Telluride in southwest Colorado, is a member of an exclusive and celebrated club, the Colorado 14-ers—the 54 mountains in that state that top 14,000 feet. It is also one of several Fourteeners where access has been frustrated by private ownership of key hiking access points—or even of the summits themselves. This fact caught the attention of mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer, a Colorado resident and the only blind person to have reached the summit of the highest peak on each of seven continents. In August, Weihenmayer ascended Wilson Peak to raise awareness of TPL's efforts to protect mountaintop access in Colorado. In October 2007, TPL finalized the purchase of 230 acres on Wilson Peak, including the summit, though funds are still needed complete the protection.

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Thanks to TPL, the US Forest Service and other partners, beginning in August 2011, the public will have legal access to Wilson Peak's summit through Silver Pick Basin. Anyone attempting to climb Wilson Peak and reach the summit should look for detailed information on the Wilson Peak area in the topographic map (topo map) and the Mount Wilson USGS quad. To hike and explore the Colorado outdoors near Wilson Peak, check the list of nearby trails.

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