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| Dominguez Canyon   | 
| Page Type: Album Image Type(s): Hiking, Scenery, Water, Canyoneering | Page By: Liba Kopeckova Created/Edited: Mar 25, 2011 / May 6, 2011 Object ID: 706595 Hits: 1002 Loading... Page Score: 88.9% - 23 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
OverviewDominguez Canyon is a spectacular canyon in western Colorado offering a beautiful desert scenery with nice rock formations, year round water source with waterfalls, petroglyphs, primitive stone shelter and many other wonders. I visited this place twice, and am planning more future visits. I used different trailheads each time - Cactus Park Trailhead, and Bridgeport Trailhead.
Cactus Park Trailhead: elevation 6,120 feet
Primitive Stone Shelter |
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Mushroom Rock Formation |
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MAP
The United States Congress designated the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness in 2009 and it now has a total of 66,260 acres. All of this wilderness is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Since it is a Wilderness area now, the Cactus Park Trailhead is not longer accessible by a 4WD vehicle, you have to hike to get there. I did not measure the distance, but it is a long hike on a rough dirt road.
View into the Canyon |
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Duchess taking a break |
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The Dominguez Canyon is most easily accessible from Bridgeport Trailhead, but I chose a longer approach Cactus Park Trailhead. As mentioned above, Cactus Park Trailhead, is no longer accessible by 4 WD since it is wilderness (=motor restricted) area. So, count on a long approach before you actually see the Dominguez Canyon.
Petroglyph |
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Canyon Rim Trail |
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TOPO map Bridgeport TrailheadBridgeport Trailhead is the most easily accessible trailhead for Dominguez Canyon. After reaching the Gunnison River on a good dirt road, there is a parking lot with toilet and signs. The road continues past the gate, which you can actually open. I did not realized this, and hiked 0.7 miles on foot to the trailhead by the bridge. I believe that the road is open for the ranchers living in the area, and you would be fine if caught driving there. There is a new pedestrian bridge built over the Gunnison river, in the past people had to use the private bridge to the ranch or take a boat.
Bridgeport Trailhead: 4,720 feet
You can actually open the gate, and drive this section all the way to the bridge across Gunnison, 0.7 mile distance |
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Rafters on Gunnison |
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Below is a new pedestrian bridge across the Gunnison river. There used to be only an older privately owned bridge, and it was not advised to use it. In the past hikers were advised to use the boat to get across the river - what an adventure!
Duchess on a new pedestrian bridge |
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On the other side of the river |
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External LinksDominguez Canyon Wilderness Images
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