Roadside Boulder Petroglyphs

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 0.03 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 4902 - 4906 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 15 mins.
Trailhead: County Road G mm 0.6
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs

Traveling west from Cortez, Colorado along McElmo Creek on Country Road G there is a large boulder on the shoulder of the road about a half mile before the Utah border. The boulder causes a blind spot on the road but was probably left there because it is actually an archeological site. The boulder, and the rest of its neighbors form a natural rock shelter that was used by the ancients who adorned many of the surfaces with their petroglyphic images.

Mclean Basin Towers

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 5.2 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 5042 - 5510 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 2 hrs. 15 mins.
Trailhead: McLean Basin
Fee: none
Attractions: pueblo style ruins

Located about 20 miles southwest of Pleasant View, Colorado, in the upper reaches of McLean Basin, are two large tower ruins and one smaller tower. Along the way there is what looks like an old homestead made out of sandstone rocks in pueblo fashion of the ubiquitous 12x12 dimensions required by the Homestead Act.

Cross Canyon Ruins

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 3.1 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 5093 - 5144 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 3 hrs. 15 mins.
Trailhead: Cross Canyon
Fee: none
Attractions: Ruins and rock art

Cross Canyon crosses US-491 about 4 miles east of Dove Creek, Colorado where it runs southwest into Utah traveling through portions of the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument along the way. This post covers 5 minor ruins that can be found within the first couple miles of the Cross Canyon trail.

Cross Canyon Petroglyphs

Rating: 
One-way Distance: 6.4 miles (mostly driving)
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 4959 - 5505 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 1 hr.
Trailhead: Cross Canyon Road
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs

Cross Canyon crosses US-491 about 4 miles east of Dove Creek, Colorado where it runs southwest into Utah traveling through portions of the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument along the way. This post covers 2 rock art sites that are on the Utah end of the canyon.

Cannonball Mesa Ruins

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 1 mile
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 4910 - 5071 feet
Cellphone: 0-2 bars
Time: 1 hr.
Trailhead: Road G mm 0.7
Fee: none
Attractions: pueblo ruins, petroglyphs

West of Cortez, Colorado, and about a mile before the Utah border, there is a bench on the south side of Cannonball Mesa that overlooks the perennial McElmo Creek. Numerous large boulders are scattered all over the bench. Many of these boulders have sheltered overhangs that make for good habitation sites. This post cover more than a handful of such sites as well as a few petroglyphs.