PROTECT THE
DOLORES RIVER
CANYON COUNTRY
CANYON COUNTRY
The Dolores River Canyon Country is one of Colorado’s last, best wild places.
Over the course of millions of years, the Dolores River has carved one of America’s most stunning canyon systems. From its upper reaches in the forested peaks of the San Juan Mountains through ponderosa gorges and slickrock canyons to its confluence with the Colorado River near the Utah border, the Dolores River cuts an extraordinary path through our public lands.
The Dolores River has been the backbone of life in the region for millenia, supporting Indigenous communities, nurturing vibrant wildlife and unique plant species, sustaining small towns weathering the boom and bust of the mining industry, and inspiring unparalleled outdoor recreation opportunities. But the river and its wildlands are increasingly fragile.
Today, the future of the Dolores River Canyon Country is uncertain—imperiled by the long-term impacts of climate change and by the threat of development, including renewed interest in mining.
It’s time to make sure that these extraordinary public lands have the resources necessary to provide present and future generations the opportunity to experience this spectacular place. We aim to help preserve existing ecosystems, restore what has been lost, renew our communities, and reconnect people to this remarkable place.
Let’s protect and restore the Dolores River Canyon Country.
These lands, rich with an abundance of natural and cultural resources, are the historic homelands of Ancestral Puebloans and the Ute people.
The Dolores River Canyon Country is the ancestral land and territory of the Ute people who were forcibly removed and forced onto reservations by the United States Government during the 19th Century. This land is connected to the Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Southern Ute Tribe, Pueblos of New Mexico, Hopi Tribe, and Navajo Nation. Land protections can, and must, follow the guidance and wishes of Indigenous peoples and honor the legacy of people who have stewarded this land for generations.
See the remarkable rivers, canyons, and mesas of Colorado’s Dolores River Canyon Country.
The Dolores River traverses our public lands. It’s an oasis for wildlife and when flows allow, it offers some of the best boating experiences in Colorado. The river system has shaped the landscape in extraordinary ways, from deep canyons to sandstone arches. Here are just some of those places.
Slick Rock Canyon
The red sandstone cliffs of the Dolores River Canyon Wilderness Study Area (also called Slick Rock Canyon) tower 1,100 feet above the river as it twists and turns, interrupted by stunning side canyons and cultural sites
Maverick Canyon
Maverick Canyon holds one of the ephemeral tributaries to the Dolores River. A quick hike up the canyon brings you to Juanita Arch, a natural land bridge suspended above the canyon floor.
Ponderosa Gorge
Raft the whitewater through the Ponderosa Gorge and glide past stands of old growth ponderosa giants and sheer red sandstone canyon walls.
Sewemup Mesa
Because cattle have never been able to access the mesa, Sewemup offers a rare example of a desert ecosystem with little to no grazing impacts. The adjacent Roc Creek Canyon is home to the Roc Creek petroglyph site.
The Palisade
The Palisade—a towering fin of sandstone cliffs capped by slickrock—rises above the Dolores River basin at the town of Gateway, Colorado.
Hanging Flume
The Hanging Flume is suspended above the Dolores and San Miguel Rivers, clinging to the sandstone cliffs. Built in 1910s, the flume was designed to sift out gold by passing water down the ten-mile-long chute.
The photos and video above are courtesy of Rig to Flip, Colorado Wildlands Project, and Jon Mullen.
