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OOJ1.i:J8 Lakes 10 miles to the southwest, outside the boundaries of the monument. Higher portions of the monument extending into the foothills of the Sangre de Cristos are forested with pinyon pine, juniper, and some ponderosa pine. Surrounding the dunes are shortgrass prairie types of vegetation, with a predominance of rabbitbrush, sagebrush, pricklypear cactus, and various grasses. Occasional mixed stands of aspen, cottonwood, spruce, and lir grow along the stream course. The monument is bordered on the east and partly on the north by Rio Grande National Forest, which is primarily recreation-oriented. Lands to the south and west of the monument are owned or leased by large cattle ranchers, and grazing constitutes the principal use there. Within a 30D-mile radius are 14 national forests, one national park, seven national monuments, and other scenic and recreational facilities. Within a radius of 100 miles are four U.S. Forest Service wilderness and primitive areas comprising a total of about 400,000 acres. Fort Garland and Pike Stockade are nearby areas of historical interest. San Luis, about 43 miles to the south, is the oldest town in Colorado. About 180,000 people visit Great Sand Dunes National Monument annually. Descriptions of the natural resources and visitor-use facilities available in the monument, as well as suggestions on how to explore and enjoy the area, are contained in the monument informational folder. Roadless Study Area The monument contains a single roadless area of more than 5,000 contiguous acres; it is therefore eligible for study under terms of the 15 Wilderness Act. This 32,045-acre area embraces nearly all of the dune-covered lands, as well as certain lands in the southern and western portions of the monument which influence dune formation. The roadless area is defined on the north and west by the monument boundary, except for the exclusion of some private land in the north. The line follows the southern boundary of the monument to its intersection with the entrance road. The eastern segment of the road less area line excludes from the study area the main monument road, private land, and developments in the vicinity of monument headquarters. All lands within this road less area are federally owned.