The route takes three to five days. The individual who sold the property was granted a life lease on it - meaning he was allowed to live out the remainder of his life on the property and continue to use it as he had for so many years before. Introduced desert bighorns routinely travel between Escalante and Dominguez canyons. Also, its a good idea to use a canister to protect your food from black bears. The area provides valuable wildlife habitat for desert bighorn sheep, deer, elk, mountain lion, black bear, wild turkey and chukar. Funds for Delta County Social Media and PR provided from a Marketing Matching Grant from the Colorado Tourism Office. Length 12.3 miElevation gain 1,112 ftRoute type Out & back. by Eric Jensen. But even in the dead of winter, Dominguez is easy to get to off U.S. Highway 550 south of Grand Junction at Bridgeport Road. Grand Junction BLM District Permits and instructions can be found on-site at the Escalante and Bridgeport boat launch. The upper end of Big Dominguez Canyon can be accessed on a primitive trail from a small trailhead near the Big Dominguez Campground. A large boulder with stacked stone walls created a rough shelter in Dominguez Canyon. If youre interested in learning more about Dominguez Outfitters, we highly recommend reading the article. This 30-mile loop begins at a trailhead near the mouth of Escalante Canyon and then follows McCarty Trail for a dozen miles to old jeep roads across Camp Ridge. Created Date: 20140413130415Z . McCarty was headed for a canyon hideout, but instead, he and his brother died in the dust of Deltas dirt streets. In early summer, collared lizards can be found doing their push-ups and mating dances. The Old Spanish National Historic Trail recognizes the land route traveled by traders from 19th-century Mexico - today's New Mexico - and California. The Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness was created by the Endangered American Wilderness Act of 1978. Escalante Canyon: Escalante Canyon includes the Potholes Recreation Area, popular with extreme kayakers in the spring and picnickers in the summer. Walk 2.5 miles to the junction of the two canyons, turn right, and then walk about another 1.5 miles to reach a gorgeous waterfall. We typically hunt elk and deer, but we also offer opportunities to pursue other animals such as bears and desert bighorn sheep. Gunnison River: The relatively flat stretch of river between Escalante Canyon and the mouth of the Dominguez Canyon is attracting increasing numbers of commercial and private boaters, with its unprecedented views of stunning red-rock canyons and wildlife viewing opportunities. Location(in western Colorado in Mesa and Delta counties. Park elevations range from 4,800 to 8,200 feet. Yet the visible cliffs are 300 million-year-old Chinle sandstone. Unit 61 has a very limited number of licenses and requires preference points to draw. Equal Opportunity Employer Besides its rich wilderness and scenic qualities, the area echoes with human history. Cultural resources such as petroglyphs and wickiups attest to the thousands of years that Native Americans used the area for hunting, shelter and as a travel corridor from the Gunnison River Valley to the Uncompahgre Plateau. Sawmill Mesa: Immediately adjacent to the town of Delta, this area provides critical motorized links to the Uncompahgre National Forest. Then theres the famous canyon shootout of June 9, 1917, when Ben Lowe, who often brought destitute homesteader families sides of beef not his own, faced off with former Sheriff Cash Sampson, who had been a state stock and brand inspector. The Dominguez Canyon Wilderness displays an array of ecosystems, ranging from upper Sonoran pion-juniper desert along the Gunnison River, to Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine to aspen at higher elevations. Dominguez Canyon is a spectacular canyon in western Colorado offering a beautiful desert scenery with nice rock formations, year round water source with waterfalls, petroglyphs, primitive stone shelter and many other wonders. My husband and I spent our honeymoon in sun canyon and . It lies west of Cottonwood Road to Elk Ridge, west to the Dark Canyon Wilderness boundary, and from the north Forest boundary to the south Forest boundary. The road provides easy vehicle and viewing access to historic cabins and trails, rock walls with early settler and Native American inscriptions, and spectacular geologic formations. Plenty of other recreational opportunities are available for your enjoyment such as, camping, hiking, horseback riding and don't forget your camera! National Conservation Area, Dominguez Canyon Wilderness, Old Spanish Trail National Historic Trail. Safety Considerations, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. L.O. The large canyon in the 66,000-acre Dominguez Canyon Wilderness is accessible by canoe from the Gunnison River or by a metal bridge from the Bridgeport Road south of Grand Junction. Petroglyphs include Archaic styles from 1000 B.C. Known for its breathtaking scenery, Dominguez-Escalante NCA is a fine example of the spectacular canyon country of the Uncompahgre Plateau. Its a pity that Franciscan friars Father Atanasio Dominguez and Silvestre de Escalante never got to visit their namesake canyons, but plenty of Native Americans, prospectors, ranchers, railroaders and outlaws certainly have. Look for petroglyphs on trailside boulders and desert bighorn sheep grazing below cliffs. Access the south side: from Delta, travel west on Highway 348 and turn right onto 25 Mesa Road/D Road. They put their kids in school so they wouldnt have that life. Thanks to Chinese astronomers, we have a date. A lock ( Sawmill Mesa Road and Dry Mesa Road provide Forest Service access to hunting in the fall and 4 wheel drive, ATV, and mountain bike access spring, summer, and fall. In a duel on horseback with four bullets, they killed each other having just shared a noon dinner. Elk and White Tail. View the alert: Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum closed for renovations through mid-May. The best overnight backpacking trip heads up Big Dominguez Canyon from the Bridgewater Trailand the Gunnison River for an out-and-back, 10-mile hike. Where the schist has been carved by millions of years of water runoff from the Uncompahgre Plateau to the west, there are pour-offs and pools as smooth as a newborns bottom. These canyons and the sloping plateaus between them offer some of western Colorados prime scenery, diverse wildlife, including desert bighorns and golden eagles, and excellent opportunities for hiking and backpacking. Josh works diligently alongside his experienced guides and camp crew to assure every hunt is outfitted with a memorable experience in the backcountry. The Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area was dedicated on August 12, 2009 by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Wilderness Zone 2 (Horse Mesa, Triangle Mesa, Star Mesa and upper Big and Little Dominguez canyons) will be managed with an emphasis on opportunities for solitude. Joined. D-E NCA provides a host of mountain biking and OHV riding on existing roads and trails. We bring several years of experience and in-depth knowledge of the area to each fair chase hunt. Some of that rock art is up to 2,000 years old and is fading in places due to the ravages if time and weather. I am aware that this is a heavily hunted unit (s), however I am also aware that the wilderness area is extremely rugged and difficult . Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Mount Zirkel Wilderness Rawah Wilderness Cache La Poudre Wilderness Sarvis Creek Wilderness Flat Tops Wilderness Byers Peak Wilderness Vasquez Peak Wilderness Eagles Nest Wilderness Ptarmigan . Dominguez Creek has some of the oldest rocks in the world from the Uncompahgre schist at 1.4 billion to 1.8 billion years old. LockA locked padlock A lock ( 2815 H Road Peregrine falcons have nested nearby. . Continue up the canyon to find a campsite, since the lower sections of both Big and Little Dominguez Canyons are day-use only. The NCA was created by the 2009 Omnibus Public Lands Management Act and is managed as part of the Bureau of Land Managements National Conservation Lands. Nearly 30 miles of the Gunnison River flow through Dominguez-Escalante NCA, supporting fish, wildlife and recreational resources. Over the last 10,000 years, ancient Native Americans left a rock art legacy including petroglyphs of bear tracks, deer, bighorn sheep, and strange human-like figures. After a few days of tramping through the ruddy canyons, youll be ready to ease back into civilization with a filling meal. Photo: camping near Naturita, Norwood, Nucla and Gateway. Visitors interested in the geology of the area can stop at the Gunnison Gravels Area of Critical Environmental Concern, which contains geologic evidence of the ancestral route of the Gunnison River through Unaweep Canyon. Farther along the trail, hikers can spot a large boulder with dry-laid stone walls underneath. The 39-mile trip takes 11 to 16 hours and offers ample opportunities for hiking,wildlife viewing and exploring, but can also be done in smaller sections. Yet the visible cliffs are 300 million-year-old Chinle sandstone.. Due to last minute changes, my normal hunting partner, Rita, was unable to go. Elk Hunting Maps page on StartMyHunt.com. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Wilderness Zone 1 (Lower Big and Little Dominguez canyons) will be managed with an emphasis on supplemental values (cultural resources and threatened and endangered species). No permit is required for backpacking. A few tried and tasty establishments that dont disappoint are Fiesta Vallarta, the areas best Mexican restaurant; Davetos for Italian cuisine, pizza, and a superb smothered green chili burrito; and Needle Rock Brewing Company for burgers and cold beers. But of all the prehistory, history and tales told in the canyons, I am most interested in a specific petroglyph. Our family has been outfitting in the Bob Marshall Wilderness since 1976. Unit 52 includes the Cruces Basin Wilderness area and boarders Colorado to the North. Please close gates behind you, beware of sheep dogs and avoid interfering with livestock operations. The Dominguez Canyon Wilderness is a Bureau of Land Management property situated near to Grand Junction, Colorado. Hes gone now, and the peace and quiet that he cherished endures for all of us. HUNTING IN WYOMING Hunt Planner / Elk Hunting / Elk Area 13 Elk Area 13 Licensing Information AVAILABLE LICENSES SPECIAL ARCHERY SEASON APPLICATION DATES & DEADLINES LICENSE PRICES RESIDENT DRAWING ODDS NONRESIDENT DRAWING ODDS Apply For License! It's located southeast of Grand Junction and northwest of Montrose. Unit 62 within D-E NCA is famous for its huge elk and mule deer herds providing outstanding back country hunting opportunities. Leave artifacts as you find them. Recently, I returned from my first elk hunt, which was in Colorado's Mount Zirkel Wilderness area. Sign up for our daily email newsletter or to receive breaking news delivered to your inbox: Choose from several print and digital subscription packages, 2023 Durango Herald | This area is rich in history, providing the only access route for settlers in Escalante Creek to Delta in the 1800s and early 1900s. Miles of trails wind within the NCA provide access to the Uncompahgre National Forest, which manages a successful multi-recreational trail system. Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area (NCA) comprises 210,172 acres of protected public lands, and includes the 66,280-acre Dominguez Canyon Wilderness. There are 115 miles of streams and rivers in the NCA, and there is habitat suitable for 52 protected species of animals and plants. Red-rock canyons and sandstone bluffs hold geological and paleontological resources spanning 600 million years, as well as many cultural and historic sites. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 4 h 40 min to complete. 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