Canyons of the Ancients National Monument |Galloping Goose #5
Fishing/Boating | Hunting | Camping/Hiking/Biking|
Casino Gaming | Old West
National Parks and Monuments
Day trips are a breeze when you stay in Dolores. In addition to famous
archaeological sites and geological wonders like
Mesa Verde National
Park
and the
Ute Mountain Tribal Park, you can explore the Anasazi ruins
at
Hovenweep National Monument, Escalante, Dominguez and
Lowry Ruins, as well as
Crow Canyon. Aztec National Monument,
Salmon Ruins and even Chaco Canyon are also within a day's reach.
Nearby scenic wonders include Arches and Canyonlands National Parks,
Monument Valley, and Four Corners Monument. Don't miss the
Anasazi
Heritage Center, a new world class museum just outside of
Dolores on Colorado 184 and
Canyons of the Ancients National
Monument.
Learn Ancient Cultures at the Anasazi Heritage Center
The Bureau of Land Management manages by many accounts a “world
class”
museum just outside Dolores. The Center is not only a museum, but also
houses more than 3 million artifacts and archives excavated from public
lands in southwestern Colorado. Throughout the year, the museum hosts
guest lectures and changing exhibits in addition to its permanent
exhibits.
You can also bring the kids. They’ll love learning about history while
exploring in the museum’s interactive Discovery Area. The museum’s
Discovery Area includes a weaving loom, corn grinding bins, and several
computer stations that share information about archaeology and modern
Native Americans. 
The museum also shows original movies that explore
topics of archaeology, local history and Pueblo, Ute, and Navajo
lifeways.
Also located on the museum’s grounds are two 12th century pueblos.
These
pueblos are named after the Spanish friars, Escalante and Dominguez, who
traveled through the area in AD 1776. For more information, call (970)
882-5600, or visit the Center’s website at
www.co.blm.gov/ahc.
(Photos courtesy of BLM/AHC/CANM) Doors are open everyday except
Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Years Day.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
Canyons
of the Ancients National Monument was designated in June of 2000.
The Monument contains the highest concentration of archaeological sites
in the nation. These sites represent cultures and traditions spanning
thousands of years. More information about places to visit in the
Monument is available at the Anasazi Heritage Center. Four areas have
been somewhat modified for the public access: Lowry Pueblo, Painted Hand
Pueblo, Sand Canyon Pueblo, and the Sand Canyon Trail. These areas are
accessible from maintained county roads, but go to the Anasazi Heritage
Center first to get maps, brochures, and current information about
places to visit; some roads may be impassible when wet. For more
information, call (970) 882-5600, or visit the Monument’s website at
www.co.blm.gov/canm.
(Photos courtesy of BLM/AHC/CA
Railroading History in Dolores, Colorado
Dolores was a railroad town for 60 years, a major Rio Grande Southern station between Durango and Ridgway. You'll find an exact replica of Dolores's original train depot standing on Railroad Avenue today, a Victorian-style structure which now houses the Rio Grande Southern Railroad Museum and the Dolores Visitors' Center.Galloping Goose #5, houses the Rio Grande Southern Railroad Museum.
Its
renovation was finished in May of 1998. This Goose carried mail and
sometimes nervous passengers over narrow gauge track through Southwest
Colorado's San Juan Mountains for almost 20 years until 1952. For
additional information visit their website,
www.gallopinggoose5.com.
Dolores' Own "Galloping Goose"
Motor Five was completed in 1933. She and her sisters, Nos. 2, 3, 4 &
7 were used to carry light freight and mail through 1949. With the loss
of the mail contract, she carried tourists through 1951.
Motor
#5 has been restored to its 1951 appearance as a tourist Goose to allow
you to relive those bygone days of honking and waddling pleasure. Stop
by the Railroad Museum for a look at railroading past and give this
goose a gander.
Fishing and Boating around Dolores
McPhee Reservoir, which stretches west from town, is a favorite of
fisher people
and boaters alike. What makes it so special? To date over 4.5 million
fish have been stocked in McPhee, so get your line in the water. Trout,
bass, crappie, kokanee salmon, pan fish and catfish are all just waiting
for your bait or lure.
In addition to McPhee, there are many more good area fishing holes to
explore including Groundhog Lake, Narraguinnep and Summit Reservoirs,
the Dolores and West Fork Rivers and several creeks. Check with the
sports and tackle shops for more details and access information.
Hiking, Biking, Camping
You're in the pines, at the edge of the mountains, poised and ready for
hiking, fishing and exploring the spectacular Southwest. We have everything
from cabins and campgrounds
to historic hotels,
bed and breakfast inns,
motels, and plenty
of RV hookups. It's your
choice. There are private and public campgrounds, alongside a lake or high
in the mountains. In fact there's so much to choose from, you need to
contact the Forest Service and the
Visitor Information Center for all the campsites available.
After you've parked your RV or pitched your tent, it's time to head for the
trail. You can explore archaeology, mining and railroad antiquities, fish
the high country, hike, mountain bike, go four wheeling or whew, just plain
relax. The air is clean, the forests are pure, and the only traffic jam
you'll run into is with the squirrels and chipmunks.
Big Game Hunting and Abundant Wildlife
Southwest Colorado offers some of the best big game hunting in the
state. Trophy deer and elk abound in the region, and while hunting is
strictly regulated to the fall, you can benefit from the abundant
wildlife all year long with your binoculars and camera lens. Ask any of
our local outfitters
for more specific information about seasons, restrictions and guide
services.
Get a Taste of the Old West
Stick around and spend a day or two with us. Take a pack trip on
horseback into the San Juan Mountains and explore over 2 million acres
of San Juan
National Forest. Rustle up some grub at a chuckwagon dinner and
shop for antiquities at local galleries and shops. Many of the buildings
in Dolores are original designs and of historical significance. A self
guided walking tour of 18 historical sites brochure is available at the
Dolores Visitor's Center.
You can witness the living traditions of Native Americans from the Ute
Mountain Ute, Southern Ute and Navajo Tribes, creating and preserving
their way of life, part of the western experience that lives on in our
unique culture. Local shops and galleries are filled with art, weaving,
sculpture, sand paintings, jewelry and more treasures. There's plenty of
old west spirit and charm just waiting to be shared in Mesa Verde
Country.
Gaming and Entertainment
Your Lucky Day is Just a Spin Away
For those with an interest in gaming, you can chase lady luck down
the highway to the Ute Mountain Casino, just a half hour away. The
action includes casino gambling with live poker and slots, blackjack and
bingo. The casino is open 8 a.m. till 4 a.m. every day.
Closer to home you'll find Indian Dancers and Storytellers in Cortez on
the summer evenings at the University of Colorado's Cortez Center, plus
other special activities posted at the Chamber and around town. A
special note: don't miss Escalante Days, right here in downtown Dolores
in August each year. Everyone in town turns out for this special event!
and
Visitor Center