Tool Point Petroglyphs

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 0.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 5640 - 5684 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 45 mins.
Trailhead: Tool Point
Fee: none
Attractions: sharpening grooves, petroglyphs

Tool Point is located in the east end of the Paradox Valley between Naturita and Bedrock, Colorado. The scenic little site has a few petroglyphs to see and a whole lot of sharpening grooves. A visit to Tool Point can be combined with visits to the Hunting Magic Panel, Shaman Panel and the Paradox Valley boulder sites for a full day of exploration.

Paradox Valley Petroglyphs

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: ~3.2 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 5456 - 5600 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 3 hrs.
Trailhead: Highway 90 MM 27.9
Fee: none
Attractions: Petroglyphs

Located along the hillside in the Paradox Valley between Bedrock and Naturita, Colorado is an area strewn with boulders, many of which are covered with petroglyphs. The area is a little less than a half mile from the Shaman Panel and the two sites are often visited together.

Hunting Magic Panel

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 3.5 - 4.4 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 5742 - 5947 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 2 hrs.
Trailhead: E22 Road & Highway 90
Fee: none
Attractions: Petroglyphs, rock shelters

The Hunting Magic Panel is one of the stops in the Paradox Valley Petroglyph Tour pamphlet that they hand out at the Naturita Information Center. The site is located in the Paradox Valley between the towns of Paradox and Naturita, Colorado.

Shaman Panel

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 0.25 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 5615 - 5648 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 1 hr.
Trailhead: Shaman Panel
Fee: none
Attractions: Petroglyphs

The Shaman Panel is located in Long Park between Naturita and Paradox, Colorado. Secluded away within a short rugged canyon are scores of well preserved images etched in stone by those that inhabited the area hundreds of years ago. The panel is just one of a handful or two other sites that provide an insight into the prehistory of the area.

Y11

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 8.8 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
MTB Skill level:
Elevation: 4856 - 5451 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 3 hrs.
Trailhead: Old iron bridge
Fee: none
Attractions: Very scenic views

The Y11 trail is located off of Highway 141 between Gateway and Naturita, Colorado. The trail starts out near an old iron bridge by following the Y11 Road along the San Miguel River. At the confluence of the San Miguel and Dolores Rivers the road turns up the Dolores River toward the Paradox Valley. The canyon widens at a spot known as Saucer Basin where the route leaves the road and follows an old double track for about a half mile as it climbs steeply into the basin. At the 5 mile point from the iron bridge the Y11 singletrack begins. From there the trail climbs up to a bench that it follows as it loops back around the mountain. As the trail travels above the San Miguel River there are several places where it gets close to the edge of the cliff and caution must be taken.