10/12/2026
Ever wonder how the Indian Peaks Wilderness got its name? On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we wanted to take a moment to look at this history of this area.
The Naming History
While names like Arapaho Peaks were widely used in the 1870s, in 1914 local botany teacher Ellsworth Bethel proposed naming the summits to represent “the 10 tribes connected with Colorado history.” The US Board on Geographic Names adjusted several of his suggestions, leading to anomalies like Paiute Peak instead of Ute Peak.
The Indigenous History
Long before modern map designations, Indigenous communities cared for these high-elevation valleys. Archaeological evidence of game drives along the Divide dates human activity back 12,000 years to the end of the last ice age. The Ute, Arapaho, and Cheyenne nations, among others, lived, hunted, and traveled throughout this region for generations before being forcibly removed in the late 19th century.
Want to learn more? Check out Arapaho Names & Trails by Oliver W. Toll. It documents a 1914 pack trip through the range with Northern Arapaho elders who shared their original place names and memories of the Front Range.
Photo: Volunteer Andrew B.
