The Sand Canyon Trail in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in southeast Colorado is probably the best hiking attraction of the this relatively new Monument. It runs for 6.5 miles north and south with the south trail head located about 12 miles west of Cortez, CO on County Road G. There is also the 5.0 mile East Rock Creek Loop Trail and two unnamed long loop trails plus the east Sand Canyon area to explore. There are at least 35 small Ancestral Pueblo ruins sites in this area. Castle Rock Pueblo The Castle Rock Pueblo Trail is the first [View Full Entry]

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The head waters of the Dolores River are in the Lizard Head Pass area along Highway 145, south of Telluride in southwest Colorado. There are many trails in the area including a main trail head a little south of the Pass. Groundhog Stock Trail The Groundhog Stock Trail starts at the Cross Mountain Trail Head, about two miles south of the Lizard Head Pass in the San Juan National Forest in southwest Colorado. After about ten minutes on the Cross Mountain Trail, the Groundhog Stock Trail branches off to the left and travels to the southwest along the edge of the [View Full Entry]

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Natural Bridges National Monument is in the remote Cedar Mesa canyon country of southeast Utah and has three examples of giant natural rock spans. Traveling around the Bridge View Drive, there are trails leading down to each of the three Bridges. Bridges are different from arches in that bridges are partially formed by the moving water of a stream, where arches are formed by frost action on seeping water. These bridges are in a sandstone layer that is deeper than the layer where the stone arches of Arches Park occur. The first hike along the nine mile loop road is Sipapu [View Full Entry]

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Spruce Tree House at Mesa Verde is the third largest cliff dweller ruin and is a favorite as it is located near a variety of visitor services including the Chapin Mesa Museum, gift shop, and food service. There is a paved trail leading down into Spruce Tree Canyon. This trail also is the starting point for two hiking trails, the Petroglyph Point Trail and the Spruce Canyon Trail. Many of the common plants growing in the canyon are also identified along the paved trail, making this a Botany Trail also. Some of the key plants in this area are: The Pinon [View Full Entry]

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The Peekaboo Springs Trail is a 5.0 mile route from the Squaw Flat Campground Trailhead east and south to Peekaboo Springs in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park in southeast Utah. Peekaboo Springs can also be reached by hiking along the 2.5 mile Salt Creek Trail. This area has Rock Art pictographs, arches, and Ancestral Pueblo Ruins. The Peekaboo Trail is part of an extensive network of trails that passes up and down on the carved rocks of this part of Canyonlands, giving long views from up above and passing through the desert environment and sometimes riparian down below. [View Full Entry]

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The Windows Loop and Windows Primitive Trail is a short loop that goes around the Windows formations in Arches National Park in southeast Utah. The Windows Section is a popular stop and is a place with wide views a number of large arches in compact area. Going counter clockwise, the first part of the trail goes behind the South Window. The Primitive Trail is not lined with easy steps like the main Windows Trail. Continuing around there are views of "The Spectacles" from behind. This view is lacking the large nose like formation that you see well from Turret Arch. There [View Full Entry]

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The Arch Canyon Trail is an 16 mile round trip to two large arches in the Cedar Mesa area of southeast Utah, west of Blanding and just west of Comb Ridge. This is on the way towards Natural Bridges National Monument is southeast Utah. The trail head is 2.5 miles north of Utah Route 95 along a dirt road. The dirt road is just after passing through the engineered notch in the massive sandstone of Comb Ridge. The trail is mostly an ATV trail so the walking is fairly easy. There are many creek crossings but in fall there is not [View Full Entry]

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The Far View Sites Trail at Mesa Verde is a short loop that has five major Ancestral Pueblo sites and a constructed reservoir. There are several large structures here within a very short distance. It is thought that this was one of the most densely populated areas in Mesa Verde. The trail starts in a plaza between the impressive Far View House to the north and Pipe Shrine House to the south. There are several interpretive signs and a trail guide available. Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado stays open in winter despite an elevation of up to 8500 feet. [View Full Entry]

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Short Trails at Chaco Canyon Historical Park Una Vida Trail The Una Vida Trail is a one mile loop to a 100 room, 5 kiva ruin site at the east end of the remote Chaco Canyon Historical Park in northwest New Mexico. The trail head is in the parking lot of the Visitor Center, the first hiking opportunity when arriving. This site is in a natural state of preservation, having experienced little excavation or vandalism. Una Vida is thought to be located along an eight mile straight line that includes the Great Houses of Pueblo Bonito in the center and Penasco [View Full Entry]

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The Chimney Rock Archaeology Area is an unusual Chaco Canyon influenced site located between Bayfield and Pagosa Springs in southwest Colorado. An unusual rock formation that is thought to have been helpful in astronomical observations may have played an important role in the history of this site. There are two short trails on the tour of the Chimney Rock area. Visitors sign in at the small visitor center and caravan up a gravel road for two miles to the trail head area. The lower barrier free looped Great Kiva Trail is 0.33 miles visits several lower village sites that are associated [View Full Entry]

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