late 1800s to the 1930s. The town's population reached several thousand during its peak. A visitor center and self-guided tours are available.

Although heavily forested, no portion of the Garnet Range is part of the National Forest system. The BLM owns much of the range, including the 11,580-acre Wales Creek Wilderness Study Area. The Wales Creek WSA is the last major drainage area without a road in the western Garnets, and features dense forests of lodgepole pine,