Camping restrictions planned near Homestake Valley wetlands

The Homestake Valley on the eastern edge of the Holy Cross Wilderness near Red Cliff looks like an undisturbed hideaway at first sight.

From the turnoff on U.S. 24 at Homestake Reservoir Road to the dam 10 miles upstream at 10,200 feet, Homestake Creek meanders through a wide wetland teeming with lush shrubbery, wildlife and the occasional lily pond. At the head of the valley looms Homestake Peak, a picturesque 13,200-foot pinnacle on the Continental Divide.

Despite the tranquility, however, there are reasons for concern over this remote gem. To most, the meadows look pretty much like any other mountain wetland in Colorado, but there is something rare about them: peat bogs — called fens — that have been there since the glaciers retreated 10,000 years ago, according to ecologist Delia Mal