Two Feathers Site

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 0.2 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 5597 - 5845 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 45 mins.
Trailhead: 38.66932, -108.33211
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs

The Two Feathers site is located along Escalante Creek in the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area between Delta and Grand Junction, Colorado. The site includes two circular petroglyph images that we usually refer to as shields.

Leonard's Basin Petroglyphs

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 12 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 4806 - 5450 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 8 hrs. 30 mins.
Trailhead: McCarty 38.73764, -108.26732
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs

The Leonard's Basin Petroglyphs are located in the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness between Delta and Grand Junction, Colorado. Images at the site include numerous horses, big game animals, and a scene of 2 Indians on horseback shooting at some Mexicans. For this post we are reaching Leonard's Basin via a route across McCarty's Bench that is 12 miles round trip, with a little over 2,500 feet of total elevation gain, by following a partially cairned route and various game trails that require advanced hiking skills and route finding abilities

Palmer Gulch Petroglyphs

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 11.74 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 4839 - 5452 feet

Elevation gain: ~2K feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 7 hrs. 30 mins.
Trailhead: McCarty

GPS coordinates: 38.73764, -108.26732
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs

Palmer Gulch is located in the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness between Delta and Grand Junction, Colorado. This post covers a long strenuous, but not entirely unenjoyable, hike across McCarty Bench to 5 petroglyph sites that we have identified within the gulch. The hike avoids the private property of the Escalante Ranch by remaining the entire time in the wilderness area. Advanced route finding abilities and hiking skills are recommended.

The Potholes

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 0.2 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 5458 - 5490 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: n/a
Trailhead: Potholes Recreation Site
Fee: none
Attractions: swimming, camping

The Potholes is a popular summer cooling off place that is in the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area between Delta and Grand Junction, Colorado.

Captain Smith's Cabin

Rating:
Round Trip Distance: 300 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 5303 - 5311 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 20 mins.
Trailhead: Captain Smith's Cabin
Fee: none
Attractions: Historic cabin, inscriptions

Captain Smith's Cabin is located in the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area between Delta and Grand Junction, Colorado. Captain Smith was a Civil War veteran and an expert tombstone carver. Some of his carvings can be seen on the boulder that serves as the south wall for his cabin and high up on the canyon cliffs.