Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance
Preserving and Protecting the Indian Peaks and James Peak Wilderness Areas
About IPWA
The Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance (IPWA) mission is to Preserve and Protect the Indian Peaks Wilderness and James Peak Wilderness.
The IPWA is a 100% volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, based in Boulder, Colorado. We have approximately 120 volunteers who complete a minimum of 4 service activities per year, which may include volunteering for wilderness patrols (summer/winter season), trail restoration projects, trailhead hosting, and/or outreach events. To learn more, visit our Volunteer Opportunities page.
The Indian Peaks and James Peak Wilderness areas are located in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, only a one-hour drive west of Boulder, Colorado. They are among the most heavily visited and utilized wilderness areas in the United States. They face an increasing risk of degradation due to high visitation levels, with over 150,000 visitors per season.
Since it was founded in 1985, the Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance (IPWA) has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service Boulder Ranger District in a collaborative stewardship to preserve and protect these areas. To learn more, visit the Our History page. We are also committed to fostering a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization and community, read more on our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion page. Our organization has no paid staff and is managed by an elected board of directors & officers, as well as committee members (current list available on our Board of Directors page). ​​
What we do
For over 30 years, IPWA volunteers have provided countless hours patrolling and maintaining trails, educating users of the backcountry and wilderness areas, and supporting education programs to foster environmental stewardship - thus creating and preserving a legacy of these cherished areas for future generations.​The IPWA achieves its mission to "Preserve and Protect the Indian Peaks and James Peak Wilderness areas" through four strategic goals: Wilderness Restoration, Wilderness Education, Wilderness Advocacy, and Wilderness Patrolling.​
IPWA Strategic Goals
Wilderness Patrols
Summer Patrols
Winter Patrols
Fire Ring Cleanups
Wilderness Restoration
Trail Restoration Projects
Sawyer Program
Invasive Weed Removal
Wilderness Education
Research Grants
Trail Head Host Days
Teach the Teachers
Wilderness Advocacy
Outreach Events
Wilderness Advocacy
Social Media & News​
Wilderness Patrolling:
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Our volunteers patrol the trails in the Indian Peaks and James Peak Wilderness areas, providing assistance to visitors, educating the public about wilderness regulations and Leave No Trace principles, monitoring trail usage and conditions for the Forest Service, and helping with trail maintenance and clean-up. ​To learn more, visit the Summer Patrol Program page and the Winter Patrol Program page.
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Wilderness Restoration:
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Our volunteers work on trail restoration projects including trail maintenance, tree clearing, and invasive weed removal. We also partner with other volunteer groups to coordinate larger restoration efforts. ​To learn more, visit the Trail Restoration Projects page.​
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Wilderness Education:
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We support education programs by funding research grants awarded to graduate students researching the ecological impacts within Colorado's high-country region. To learn more, visit the Research Grants page.
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We also provide a "Teach the Teachers" program with the University of Northern Colorado to expose student teachers to wilderness ethics and environmental conservation principles, so that they can in turn inform their elementary students (primarily in urban schools).​​​​ To learn more, visit the Teach the Teachers Program page.
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Since 2016, the IPWA has held Trailhead Host Days each summer, where volunteers host an informational booth at popular trailheads. We typically hold 3-4 weekend events each season. To learn more, visit the Trail Head Host page.
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From 2015-2019, the IPWA also funded and managed a summer Wilderness Ranger Internship program in partnership with the USFS Boulder Ranger District.
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Wilderness Advocacy:
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We advocate for the wilderness by promoting wilderness values and Leave No Trace responsible use through outreach, newsletter and social media posts.
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The IPWA is working with the USFS on plans to renovate and update a historic miner's cabin located at the gateway to the Indian Peaks Wilderness near Hessie trailhead. The goal will be to renovate the cabin to become a Wilderness Interpretive Center during the summer hiking season (more info coming soon).
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To learn more about our programs, see our News & Events page and contact us to sign up for the newsletter!