All Rights Reserved. Uncover Colorado | Sitemap | Advertise. Collared lizards enact marvelous mating dances. The terrain is characterized by large mesas dissected by deep red slick-rock canyons and arroyos. This National Conservation Area includes the 66,280 acre Dominguez Canyon Wilderness. An official website of the United States government. The Elk Ridge Recreation Area is located in San Juan County, Utah, west of Monticello and north of Blanding in southeastern Utah. McCarty was headed for a canyon hideout, but instead, he and his brother died in the dust of Deltas dirt streets. We are proud to say that we have enjoyed a very high success rate, and we show no signs of slowing down. After a few days of tramping through the ruddy canyons, youll be ready to ease back into civilization with a filling meal. There is evidence all through Dominguez Canyon wilderness of thousands of years of use for hunting, fishing and as a travel corridor connecting the Gunnison River Valley with the upper Uncompahgre plateau. Privacy Policy, Weather data from The Durango Herald and WeatherKit.org, History, geology tell old tales in these Colorado desert canyons. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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 . Congrats, thats is beautiful area and a fun hunt. The area was the traditional hunting area for Ute and Fremont Indians that migrated and hunted through the area. Human habitation in the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area goes back 10,000 years. | Dominguez Outfitters is based in Whitewater, CO. We hunt in Colorado Game Management Units (GMU) 61 and 62. 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. 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. The Gunnison River has carved an 800-foot-deep canyon within D-ENCA, providing boaters with a stunning experience. The NCA's terrain ranges from dry, high plains desert, mountain timber to deep canyons along the Gunnison River. Written by Stewart Green for RootsRated Media in partnership with Delta County Colorado. Known for its breathtaking scenery, Dominguez-Escalante NCA is a fine example of the spectacular canyon country of the Uncompahgre Plateau. Created by, Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. The 142-mile Tabeguache Mountain Bike Trail, which connects Grand Junction to Montrose, goes from Cactus Park on its ascent from Grand Junction to the top of the Uncompahgre Plateau. The Gunnison River angles along the eastern edge of sprawling Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area, a vast 210,172-acre swathe of protected land that includes the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area. There are 115 miles of streams and rivers in the NCA, and there is habitat suitable for 52 protected species of animals and plants. We typically hunt elk and deer, but we also offer opportunities to pursue other animals such as bears and desert bighorn sheep. A ruby gem at the bottom of the world. Ranchers tried to make a living but the country was hard on horses and even harder on wives. 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. But of all the prehistory, history and tales told in the canyons, I am most interested in a specific petroglyph. The route takes three to five days. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Terms of Use A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Cactus Park: This area provides rich opportunities to motorized vehicle enthusiasts to experience the back country. 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. The canyons drain the northeastern corner of the Uncompahgre Plateau. This scenic wonderland was declared a national wilderness site in 2009 and consists of 66,280 acres of land that is ripe for exploration. Wooley Built This House March the 18, 1901.. The area provides valuable opportunities for many different forms of recreation, particularly OHV and horseback riding. Extreme Long Range Hunting & Shooting (ELR). For almost two years, it was visible, and it can now be seen as the Crab Nebula. This national resource is known for its . Andrew Gulliford is a professor of history and environmental studies at Fort Lewis College. Yet the visible cliffs are 300 million-year-old Chinle sandstone.. The wilderness was designated by Congress in 2009 and is made up of most of what was previously the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area. The scenic canyon also boasts day hikes and historic sites like the old Captain Smith Cabin, which was built in 1911 by a Civil War veteran. What to Expect. The trail takes a right turn away from the river, where you will see an old dam on the left, pass by a gate post made from old wagon wheel axle and spy an abandoned corral on the right. Ballantine Communications, Inc. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Equal Opportunity Employer The Delta-Nucla/25-Mesa Road borders the NCA on the southeast and connects Delta to Nucla and the Divide Road, which follows the spine of the Uncompahgre Plateau. Learn more about Hiking in the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness. If you really want to escape the world and revel in the wild, then hike the McCarty Trail to Historic Gunnison Pack Trail for a three-day trek. 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 . The upper end of Big Dominguez Canyon can be accessed on a primitive trail from a small trailhead near the Big Dominguez Campground. You are using an out of date browser. South end of Dominguez Canyon Wilderness, near Montrose, CO. Photo by: camping near Naturita, Norwood, Nucla and Gateway, Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area, blm.gov/visit/dominguez-canyon-wilderness. With only about 500 in Colorado, they are a delight to see. Re-introduced desert bighorns stare from cliffs above or silhouette themselves on the skyline at sunset, which is perfect entertainment for beer-drinking campers below. Made doctors and lawyers of em. The Old Spanish National Historic Trail passes through the eastern part of Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area (NCA), which comprises 210,172 acres of protected public lands, and includes the 66,280-acre Dominguez Canyon Wilderness. A variety of wildlife call the area home, including desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, golden eagles, turkeys, elk, mountain lions, black bears, and collared lizards. Three major canyonsEscalante, Little Dominguez, and Big Dominguezdrain off the highlands of the Uncompahgre Plateau, the eroded roots of an ancient mountain range, into the glassy Gunnison. Expect Class I and II water. Official websites use .gov On the back of the boulder is the carved inscription: M.A. The majority of the wilderness is characterized by rugged basaltic ridges and outcroppings separated by deep . Please call 970-882-5600 for assistance. 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. Elevations in the NCA are approximately 4,800 to 8,200 feet. The Tabeguache trail, a long distance mixed use trail popular with mountain bikers, motorcycle riders and jeep enthusiasts, also runs through the Ninemile Hill area. LockA locked padlock Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. They left the wilderness and all that hard work. Unit 61 has a very limited number of licenses and requires preference points to draw. Plenty of other recreational opportunities are available for your enjoyment such as, camping, hiking, horseback riding and don't forget your camera! GENERAL SEASON RIFLE HUNTS Cabin Creek Camp. You should plan on finding and purifying water from trickling creeks and potholes filled with rainwater. However, she recruited her fellow Minneapolis firefighter, Ben Pena, to join me. The area has mountain lion, black bear, mule deer, elk, coyote, golden eagle, wild turkey and collared lizard. Unit 62 within D-E NCA is famous for its huge elk and mule deer . A variety of wildlife call the area home, including desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, golden eagles, turkeys, elk, mountain lions, black bears, and collared lizards. Congressionally designated in 2009 for its distinctive canyon country, the Dominquez-Escalante National Conservation Area includes the remote Dominguez Canyon Wilderness, recreation along the Gunnison River, and a network of off-highway vehicle trails. Grand Junction Field Office & Uncompahgre Field Office, Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution, Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. Insured & Bonded Created Date: 20140413123814Z . Traditional uses such as livestock grazing, hunting and fishing are important uses in the NCA and are specifically protected by the designating legislation and Resource Management Plan. 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. Location(in western Colorado in Mesa and Delta counties. A large boulder with stacked stone walls created a rough shelter in Dominguez Canyon. The area possesses outstanding geological features, spectacular scenery, ecological diversity, two cascading mountain streams and opportunities for solitude and primitive unconfined recreation. It lies about 300 miles east of Denver, and 30 miles south of Fruita. One panel with an exploding star may depict the famed supernova of AD 1054. You will encounter picturesque views, fascinating historical artifacts, as well as unique plants and geologic features. 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. 2023 Delta County Tourism. We look forward to your visit; here's hoping that you are inspired to linger a little while longer with us. If youre looking to have a great time while hunting big game, get in touch with us today! Escalante Canyon to the south and Dominguez Canyon to the north, both parts of the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area, made perfect hideouts for cattle rustlers and bank robbers. Sycamore Canyon Wilderness and Red Rock - Secret Mountain . Dominguez Canyon Wilderness lies in the heart of Dominguez-Escalante NCA, providing habitat for desert bighorn sheep, threatened species of fish and cactus, and opportunities to view its natural wonders by foot or horseback. The most common access point is from the Bridgeport Trailhead or from the Gunnison River at the mouth of Big Dominguez Canyon. Plan your trek in spring and fall when the weather is generally pleasant, since summers are too hot. The canyon is rich in remains of other days that, like place markers in a book, remind us where to turn for favorite stories, wrote Muriel Marshall in Red Hole in Time. Adventurous travelers can make a large loop using Big and Little Dominguez Canyons. View the alert: Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum closed for renovations through mid-May. Find more information about recreating in Dominguez Canyon Wilderness here. Release Agent for Glass Bedding Cerakote??? The Uncompahgre band, Weminuche band and Grand River band of Utes may all have traversed this canyon at different times of year. The canyon is a rare palimpsest of time with layer after layer of geology and human history. The Old Spanish National Historic Trail recognizes the land route traveled by traders from 19th-century Mexico - today's New Mexico - and California. This trail is 12.3 mi long with an elevation gain of 1,112 ft. There are 115 miles of streams and rivers in the NCA, and there is habitat suitable for 52 protected species of animals and plants. That's one heck of a bull. It took a special kind of woman to make an Escalante Canyon ranchers wife, Marshall wrote. National Conservation Area, Dominguez Canyon Wilderness, Old Spanish Trail National Historic Trail. The Ute Tribes today consider these pinyon-junipercovered lands an important connection to their ancestral past. Hikers can see it in the Grand Canyon or you can hike into the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness along the Gunnison River between Delta and Grand Junction. Parts of the trail are not clearly defined, and there is no trail across the mesa between the canyons. Little Dominguez Creek flows year round, creating a long, narow riparian zone inhabited by many reptiles, birds and mammals. Dominguez Canyon Wilderness consists of two major canyon systems, Big Dominguez and Little Dominguez. 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. Grand Junction Field Office & Uncompahgre Field Office Bring a detailed topo map and either a compass or GPS unit and know how to navigate with them. Four years later, Tom McCarty robbed the Delta Bank only to be shot by a hardware store owner with a buffalo gun so powerful that it lifted the robber out of his saddle, dead before he hit the ground. . Billy Rambo had a life estate in the canyon and a family house on Little Dominguez Creek. A lock ( For overnight stays, the Big Dominguez and Potholes campgrounds are available. Each map displays Wilderness Boundaries as well as Unit (GMU) boundaries. Described as a guest star and like a path clothed in brightness adorned by countless gleaming lamps, people around the world saw it as a living, pulsing, fireworks display. Known for its breathtaking scenery, Dominguez- Escalante NCA is a fine example of the spectacular canyon country of the Uncompaghre Plateau. Ninemile Hill is easily identifiable by its communication towers along the crest. Little Dominguez is the longer of the two at approximately 12 miles in length. Access the north side via Dominguez Campground: from Grand Junction, travel south US-50. Known for its breathtaking scenery, Dominguez-Escalante NCA is a fine example of the spectacular canyon country of the Uncompahgre Plateau. Elevations in the NCA are approximately 4,800 to 8,200 feet. The wilderness was designated by Congress in 2009 and is made up of most of what was previously the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area. The areas contain canyon and dry meadow habitat and produce elk observations throughout the fall hunt period. For more information on hunting seasons, how to get your hunting license, and more, please visit the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website. Nice bull and very good write up congrats!! Dominguez Outfitters is based in Whitewater, CO. We hunt in Colorado Game Management Units (GMU) 61 and 62. Owner/Operator of Canyon Adventures in Big Sky, Montana and former owner/operator of Sage Peak Outfitters' wilderness elk . This is what we have come so far to find: the solitude, the challenge, and the wildness. HUNTING PRICES & DATES - 2024 GUIDED HUNTS . While Big Dominguez Creek runs year-round, water is scarce away from the creek. Experience this 12.3-mile out-and-back trail near Whitewater, Colorado. 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. The Old Spanish National Historic Trail is composed of three main routes: the Main Route, the Armijo Route, and the North Branch. Dominguez Outfitters and our team have been providing packing and guiding services since 2009 on public lands. Not only did an enlightened Congress vote to preserve the 209,000-acre landscape, but the one private property owner in Dominguez Canyon agreed to donate his familys homestead to the Bureau of Land Management and let it revert to the public domain. Date Hiked: May 22, 2016 Distance: 6.6 mi (RT) to Waterfall, longer options available Elevation Gain: 770 ft Elevation Min/Max: 4,686 to 4,981 ft Trailhead Lat/Long:38 50' 58" N; 108 22' 21" W Managing Agency: Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Related Pages, More Colorado Information, Photos and Maps, Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. I visited this place several times, and keep coming back. There is also plenty of solitude and a raw silence that keeps the sounds of civilization far away. Nearly 30 miles of the Gunnison River flow through Dominguez-Escalante NCA, supporting fish, wildlife and recreational resources. 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