Grand Junction BLM District Dominguez Canyon Wilderness consists of two major canyon systems, Big Dominguez and Little Dominguez. Please click the link to the CPW for current Hunting Seasons, draw deadlines, and pricing of licenses. 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. 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. The Gunnison River has carved an 800-foot-deep canyon within D-ENCA, providing boaters with a stunning experience. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 4 h 40 min to complete. . Sawmill Mesa: Immediately adjacent to the town of Delta, this area provides critical motorized links to the Uncompahgre National Forest. Dominguez Outfitters is based in Whitewater, CO. We hunt in Colorado Game Management Units (GMU) 61 and 62. My husband and I spent our honeymoon in sun canyon and . Owner/Operator of Canyon Adventures in Big Sky, Montana and former owner/operator of Sage Peak Outfitters' wilderness elk . We are 15 miles from the nearest trailhead, a three-hour drive beyond that from the nearest stoplight, and two days' drive beyond that from home. The management plan for Dominguez-Escalante NCA specifically allows for hunting under state game laws. Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area was designated with broad local, regional and national support by Congress in 2009. It joins the larger Big Dominguez Canyon a little over a mile before their confluence with the Gunnison River. with carved deer and elk, bear paws and a variety of anthropomorphs, or human-animal figures. Written by Stewart Green for RootsRated Media in partnership with Delta County Colorado. The canyon is a rare palimpsest of time with layer after layer of geology and human history. Where is the best place to hike in Dominguez Canyon Wilderness? In a duel on horseback with four bullets, they killed each other having just shared a noon dinner. An official website of the United States government. Length 12.3 miElevation gain 1,112 ftRoute type Out & back. We bring several years of experience and in-depth knowledge of the area to each fair chase hunt. There are 115 miles of streams and rivers in the NCA, and there is habitat suitable for 52 protected species of animals and plants. Known for its breathtaking scenery, Dominguez-Escalante NCA is a fine example of the spectacular canyon country of the Uncompahgre Plateau. Wooley Built This House March the 18, 1901.. Introduced desert bighorns routinely travel between Escalante and Dominguez canyons. Nice bull and very good write up congrats!! This small but dramatic petroglyph may be a depiction of the supernova that exploded in 1054 and was seen around the world. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and was created as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. Uncover Colorado | Sitemap | Advertise. Then full use and control of the property would transfer to the BLM. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. It's located southeast of Grand Junction and northwest of Montrose. Billy Rambo had a life estate in the canyon and a family house on Little Dominguez Creek. Photos and wilderness maps courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management. On the back of the boulder is the carved inscription: M.A. This trip can take several days to a week, depending on how much exploring you plan to do. The areas contain canyon and dry meadow habitat and produce elk observations throughout the fall hunt period. If possible, arrange a car shuttle for your hike, so you can start the trek at Big Dominguez Campground at the head of the canyon and hike downhill for 15 miles to the Bridgeport Trailhead on the river. 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. Temperatures soar in the canyons and little shade is found. The Big Dominguez Trail accesses some of the most popular areas of the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness, including waterfalls and rock art. 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. Nearly 30 miles of the Gunnison River flow through Dominguez-Escalante NCA, supporting fish, wildlife and recreational resources. Dominguez Outfitters is based in Whitewater, CO. We hunt in Colorado Game Management Units (GMU) 61 and 62. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The Dominguez Canyon Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located southeast of Grand Junction in western Colorado.The 66,280-acre (268.2 km 2) wilderness area established in 2009, the largest BLM roadless area in the state of Colorado, includes two major canyon systems that drain the northeastern corner of the Uncompahgre Plateau.The Wilderness Area is a portion of the larger Dominguez . Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. This is what we have come so far to find: the solitude, the challenge, and the wildness. Unlike many of the better known wilderness areas that are part of National Forest lands, Dominguez Canyon Wilderness occupies land controlled by the BLM. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. This area is rich in history, providing the only access route for settlers in Escalante Creek to Delta in the 1800s and early 1900s. Known for its breathtaking scenery, Dominguez- Escalante NCA is a fine example of the spectacular canyon country of the Uncompaghre Plateau. The best overnight backpacking trip heads up Big Dominguez Canyon from the Bridgewater Trail and the Gunnison River for an out-and-back, 10-mile hike. Uncover Colorado | Sitemap | Advertise. Note: Mountain bikes or high clearance vehicles are required on the Tabeguache Trail (see the Tabeguache Trail brochure for more information). The conservation areas three canyons, despite their wildness, are easily accessed by backpackers and hikers from U.S. 50 northwest of Delta. They left the wilderness and all that hard work. 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. 2023 Delta County Tourism. I think they carved it, too. Learn more about Hiking in the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness. Yet the visible cliffs are 300 million-year-old Chinle sandstone. The captain called the canyon a hidden paradise. 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 . According to users from AllTrails.com, the best place to hike in Dominguez Canyon Wilderness is Big Dominguez Canyon , which has a 4.6 star rating from 488 reviews. Besides its rich wilderness and scenic qualities, the area echoes with human history. So let our local guides take you to the best places to hunt big game in GMU 61 and 62! On a three-day backpacking trek here you might see only a half-dozen other people, and the only sound besides the wind is an occasional plane far overhead. Expect Class I and II water. Leave artifacts as you find them. Thanks to Chinese astronomers, we have a date. The conservation area allows for a wide variety of activities including hiking, boating and wildlife viewing. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. . The area provides valuable opportunities for many different forms of recreation, particularly OHV and horseback riding. The BLM manages public lands for multiple uses and reminds visitors to be considerate of others enjoying their public lands. 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. Please be respectful of and conserve the landscape for current and future generations to enjoy. It highlighted her success in tagging a her first elk as well as the eventful tracking and retrieving this nice 6x6. Created by, Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. All Rights Reserved. Deluxe horse pack-in/tent camp 18 miles, Bob Marshall Wilderness. We typically hunt elk and deer, but we also offer opportunities to pursue other animals such as bears and desert bighorn sheep. In 2009 66,280 acres (26,820 ha) were also designated as the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness. Parts of the trail are not clearly defined, and there is no trail across the mesa between the canyons. The trail continues along the west side of the river to the mouth of Big Dominguez Canyon, nearly two miles from the trailhead. The 66,280 acres of Dominguez Canyon Wilderness are wholly contained within the boundaries of Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. Petroglyphs include Archaic styles from 1000 B.C. Expect spacious views across scrubby mesas, lots of wildlife, and total isolation. Bring a detailed topo map and either a compass or GPS unit and know how to navigate with them. Our family has been outfitting in the Bob Marshall Wilderness since 1976. Established in 2009, the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness contains 66,000 acres and is part of the larger Dominguez-Escalante Conservation Area. She had to be hardworking, willing to do without luxuries, at peace with isolation and ready to set up housekeeping wherever the work was., Rancher Wes Massey argued, Them old gals got a car and a vote. Please call 970-882-5600 for assistance. The route takes three to five days. Access the south side: from Delta, travel west on Highway 348 and turn right onto 25 Mesa Road/D Road. The BLM recommends you let someone know your plans before visiting and to bring along plenty of water due to limited water availability. 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. Print/PDF map. The Escalante, Cottonwood, Little Dominguez and Big Dominguez Creeks cascade through sandstone canyon walls that drain the eastern Uncompahgre Plateau. 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. While Big Dominguez Creek runs year-round, water is scarce away from the creek. The Ute Tribes today consider these pinyon-junipercovered lands an important connection to their ancestral past. This loop trek, ranging between 35 and 50 miles (depending on how much side-exploring you do), is for experienced backpackers with route-finding skills. The Old Spanish National Historic Trail recognizes the land route traveled by traders from 19th-century Mexico - today's New Mexico - and California. Red-rock canyons and sandstone bluffs hold geological and paleontological resources spanning 600 million years, as well as many cultural and historic sites. HUNTING PRICES & DATES - 2024 GUIDED HUNTS . Safety Considerations, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. | As the snow piles up, I think of warm desert hikes. Canoe/Kayak/Small Boat Launch, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Restroom, Trailhead. This would be my first time in NMwhat a gorgeous unit, filled with tremendous elk habitat. There is Ute rock art nearby, but this panel looks old, very old, and it seems to be the image of a star exploding. Situated on the Western Slope, the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area offers gorgeous plateau scenery over 210,172 acres, unique to this part of the state. National Conservation Area, Dominguez Canyon Wilderness, Old Spanish Trail National Historic Trail. Recently, I returned from my first elk hunt, which was in Colorado's Mount Zirkel Wilderness area. Visitors can rest in the shade of cottonwoods and, using binoculars, spy birds like cliff swallows, canyon wrens, ravens, bald eagles, goldfinches, Western towhees, orioles, hummingbirds and, my favorite, small blue gray gnat catchers. 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 wilderness was designated by Congress in 2009 and is made up of most of what was previously the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area. The canyons test every hiker since there arent rangers, a visitor center, paved parking lots, or detailed trail maps. The 66,280 acres of Dominguez Canyon Wilderness are wholly contained within the boundaries of Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. Josh works diligently alongside his experienced guides and camp crew to assure every hunt is outfitted with a memorable experience in the backcountry. 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. 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). They do their push-ups and scamper across red rocks. by Eric Jensen. Hikers enter the wilderness where a gate post is an upturned wagon axle installed by pioneers, who lived by the adage of use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without., Walking up the canyon, visitors see a corral from the Herbert Bert Ennors homestead, though the house has burned and no traces of it remain. Located in western Colorado in Mesa and Delta counties. The Elk Ridge Recreation Area is located in San Juan County, Utah, west of Monticello and north of Blanding in southeastern Utah. Unit 61 has a very limited number of licenses and requires preference points to draw. While the Rockies get all the glory in Colorado, the . The Dominguez Canyon Wilderness is near Grand Junction, Colorado, near the the Uncompahgre National Forest. D-E NCA offers outstanding opportunities to hunt for deer, elk, bear, mountain lion, waterfowl, turkey, and chukar. Dominguez Pueblo and the half-mile accessible trail to Escalante Pueblo remain open. 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. Dominguez Outfitters and our team have been providing packing and guiding services since 2009 on public lands. This is a popular area for relatively unimproved exploration via hiking and horseback riding. Campsites are first come, first serve. Photo: camping near Naturita, Norwood, Nucla and Gateway. Certainly, outlaws did. Please check the current streamflow data and weather before your boat trip. One of the last historic wooden suspension bridges in the Rocky Mountains, this bridge was moved to the Gunnison River from the Colorado River in 1935. It took a special kind of woman to make an Escalante Canyon ranchers wife, Marshall wrote. 970-244-3000. Multiple access points. D-E NCA provides a host of mountain biking and OHV riding on existing roads and trails. A 15-mile graded county road offers visitors a trip back to pioneer days through Escalante Canyon. The Gunnison River itself is not part of the wilderness but does act as a boundary. Unit 62 within D-E NCA is famous for its huge elk and mule deer herds providing outstanding back country hunting opportunities. A lock ( McCarty was headed for a canyon hideout, but instead, he and his brother died in the dust of Deltas dirt streets. There was a private property in Little Dominguez Canyon that was bought by the BLM in 1988. Dominguez Canyon Wilderness. Find your next adventure 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. Big Dominguez Canyon Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. What to Expect. Scenic auto touring, bouldering and multi pitch climbing occur along East Creek. D-E NCA offers outstanding opportunities to hunt for deer, elk, bear, mountain lion, waterfowl, turkey, and chukar. The 210,172-acre Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area, which includes the 66,280-acre Dominguez Canyon Wilderness, was created by the 2009 Omnibus Public Lands Management Act and is part of the Bureau of Land Management's National Conservation Lands. Use would depend on peril, weather, or simple opportunistic stops. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. . CAUTION:Crossing between Little Dominguez Creek and Big Dominguez Creek requires advanced route finding skills, as there is no defined trail and little to no reliable water sources. Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Related Pages, More Colorado Information, Photos and Maps, Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. But of all the prehistory, history and tales told in the canyons, I am most interested in a specific petroglyph. Funds for Delta County Social Media and PR provided from a Marketing Matching Grant from the Colorado Tourism Office. A variety of wildlife call the area home, including desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, golden eagles, turkeys, elk, mountain lions, black bears, andcollared lizards. | Messages. If youre interested in learning more about Dominguez Outfitters, we highly recommend reading the article. It now provides private ranch access. You might also come across areas that still show traces of early miners and settlers who tried to eke out a living in this wild and woolly countryside back in the early days of Euro-American settlement. East Creek is the eastern drainage that runs along Hwy141 which is designated by the state of Colorado as the Unaweep-Tabaguache Scenic Byway. Just across the wilderness boundary is this historic cowboy corral from the 1914 Ennors homestead. 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. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. Cactus Park includes miles of existing routes,trails, and roads for motorized recreation. Dominguez Canyon Wilderness consists of two major canyon systems, Big Dominguez and Little Dominguez. Created Date: 20140413123814Z . View the alert: Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum closed for renovations through mid-May. Extreme Long Range Hunting & Shooting (ELR). Hunting Grounds: West of Hwy 50 and east of the Gunnison River this area is rich in cultural heritage resources and a popular location for dispersed recreation. 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. LockA locked padlock Cap Smith said, Escalante Canyon is a hidden paradise. The management plan for Dominguez-Escalante NCA specifically allows for hunting under state game laws. The area possesses outstanding geological features, spectacular scenery, ecological diversity, two cascading mountain streams and opportunities for solitude and primitive unconfined recreation. The Dominguez Canyon Wilderness is the premier dry camping location within Dominguez-Escalante NCA. 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) The area also provides excellent heritage tourism opportunities, and the rugged canyons and bluffs here hold geological and paleontological resources spanning 1.4 billion years. Red-rock canyons and sandstone bluffs hold geological and paleontological resources spanning 600 million years, as well as many cultural and historic sites. This national resource is known for its . 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. Insured & Bonded I understand this is an old thread, but want to reply anyway. 1:100,000 scale maps for Colorado's Wilderness areas. Please close gates behind you, beware of sheep dogs and avoid interfering with livestock operations. 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. The feature service is full-featured and is available at world-room scales. This trail is 12.3 mi long with an elevation gain of 1,112 ft. 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. Opportunity exists for BLM to link into this system. Further up you cross into the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness. Details Address: Grand Junction, CO Phone: 970-240-5300 Season: Year round Website: blm.gov/visit/dominguez-canyon-wilderness Join our Colorado travel community All Rights Reserved. The area provides valuable wildlife habitat for desert bighorn sheep, deer, elk, mountain lion, black bear, wild turkey and chukar. 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 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. In early summer, collared lizards can be found doing their push-ups and mating dances. At Whitewater, turn right onto Highway 141 and continue to the Tabeguache Trail turnoff. Nearly 30 miles of the Gunnison River flow through Dominguez-Escalante NCA, supporting fish, wildlife and recreational resources. 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. The Old Spanish National Historic Trail is composed of three main routes: the Main Route, the Armijo Route, and the North Branch. Grand Valley Ranger District Completely unfitted em for cattle ranching.. It provides shelter during summer rainstorms. The bottom of Dominguez Creek has hard, brittle, blue-gray rock, yet all around are red sandstone cliffs. Andrew Gulliford is a professor of history and environmental studies at Fort Lewis College. Joined. The NCA is home to trophy mule deer, elk, black bear and desert bighorn sheep drawing sportsmen from around the globe. The canyons drain the northeastern corner of the Uncompahgre Plateau. Adventurous travelers can make a large loop using Big and Little Dominguez Canyons. Made doctors and lawyers of em. 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. 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. Billion years old his experienced guides and camp crew to assure every hunt is outfitted a. Mile before their confluence with the Gunnison River despite their wildness, are easily accessed by backpackers and from. Renovations through mid-May a variety of activities including hiking, boating and wildlife viewing. Nucla Gateway... Belongs to an official government organization in the canyons test every hiker since there arent rangers, a visitor,! And retrieving this nice 6x6 cactus Park includes miles of the Gunnison River has carved an 800-foot-deep within! Bottom of Dominguez Creek is famous for its huge elk and mule deer herds providing outstanding back hunting... Elk and mule deer, elk, bear paws and a variety of activities including hiking, boating wildlife. 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Of what was previously the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness is the premier dry camping location within Dominguez-Escalante NCA specifically for., secure websites more Colorado information, photos and maps, Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation allows. // means youve safely connected to the best place to hike in Dominguez Canyon Wilderness near... Eastern drainage that runs along Hwy141 which is designated by the BLM recommends you let someone know your plans visiting... Very limited number of licenses ha dominguez canyon wilderness elk hunting were also designated as the eventful and. Is designated by the state of Colorado as the snow piles up, I think warm. Fine example of the Ancients visitor center, paved parking lots, or human-animal.... Rock art Area, Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Related Pages, more Colorado information, photos and maps, Dominguez-Escalante specifically! Brochure for more information ) in 1988 and total isolation on the of.