Experience the Outdoors
For the adventurer, Conejos County offers some of the best Colorado has to offer. From rivers and lakes to hiking and biking you can do it all in our wild un-crowded country.
Find your next adventure below.
”The Conejos is arguably the best of all the wild rivers in the Southwest,” according to Mark Williams, content writer for Great Outdoor Recreation Pages (GORP). “The feeder streams are big and productive enough that it’d be worthwhile to visit them alone.
Most require at least a hike, and you’ll need a full-fledged backpacking expedition to get to the best parts of them. But if you want true wilderness angling in pristine forests and wide meadows, hit any one of these tributaries.
Some say that if you were ever going to run into a grizzly bear — the last of which was seen in 1979 in the state of Colorado — it will be in the backcountry of the Conejos. Wild, wild, wild.”
Resources
State Wildlife Areas:
There are several State Wildlife Areas in the valley that provide premium waterfowl, turkey, deer, elk hunting and small game hunting. Duck hunting is also very popular and rewarding in the area. Conejos is Spanish for “rabbit”, and they live here in abundance.
If you are looking for larger game, try the La Jara State Wildlife Area and the La Jara Reservoir State Trust Lands. With over 32,000 acres of prime elk hunting terrain it is the biggest State Trust Land in the State of Colorado. You can hunt elk, deer, big horn sheep, black bear, antelope and mountain lions by limited license. Hunting in this area is considered best during the latter part of the season when less hospitable weather forces game down from their summer habitats and into the lower lying areas.
Because of the remote areas offered in the La Jara Lands and Rio Grande National Forest, Conejos county offers some of the most premier elk hunting in the western United States. Elk hunters travel from all over the nation each year to partake of the rugged wilderness and the abundant wildlife.
Resources
State Wildlife Areas:
Conejos County has affordable campsites and RV parks.
Or you can camp on your own in the backcountry (called dispersed camping by the Forest Service).
There are 770 square miles of public lands (Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management), in Conejos County. Within these many acres you can find a scenic spot just for you. Please make sure to pack-out anything you pack-in.
Resources
From short circuit hikes along winding streams to long upwards trails that reward you with breathtaking views, you can pick your own journey.
Colorado trails run from a short jaunt of one mile to an expedition of 23 miles. Come and explore our miles of trails and forest service roads that are just waiting to exceed your expectations.
Considered by many to be the wildest area of Colorado, the Southern Colorado San Juan Wilderness offers 180 miles of trails at elevations ranging from 8,000 ft. to over 13,000 ft. There are more than thirty trails on which you can explore this wilderness. The wilderness area boasts of 158,790 acres of rugged unspoiled terrain.
If you’re really up for a Colorado challenge, check out the various hikes along the Continental Divide. The Divide runs through the western edge of Conejos County through the South San Juan Wilderness and the Rio Grande National Forest offering the true adventure hiker an opportunity of a lifetime.
Resources
Four-wheeling opportunities abound in Conejos County and the Rio Grande National Forest. Within the forest, vehicular travel is restricted to Forest Service roads and trails with numerical designations except for game retrieval during big game hunting season.
Motorized trails are single-track trails open to licensed motorcycles and certain types of ATV’s. Roads having the road number in a vertical format in the Rio Grande National Forest are open to both ATV travel and vehicle travel.
**If you are a Colorado State resident and you are going to operate an off-highway vehicle (OHV), defined as any vehicle that does not have a state license plate, you will need to have it registered. If you are a non-resident, you will need to have your off-highway vehicle registered in your home state and then purchase an OHV. Or, you can choose to register your OHV in Colorado which would exclude you from having to get a permit. You may purchase your ATV registration stickers at the Colorado Division of Parks and Recreation Offices, sporting goods stores and ATV/OHV dealers. For further information, call (303)791-1920.
Resources
Conejos County offers miles of forest service roads that make for great biking. Also, there are wider roads and trails both for families and the more independent adventurer. Miles of unexplored territory await you. Bring your bike, grab a topo map and take a ride.
You may want to stock up on energy food and supplies in Antonito and drive highway 17 into the Conejos Canyon. If you want to start in the mountains, drive to the small town of Horca and take the dirt road to Platoro Reservoir. You might experience a few cars every now and then, but you’ll also see the heart of the Canyon. If climbing isn’t your interest, explore the valley roads around Antonito, Manassa, La Jara, Sanford, Mogote and Fox Creek. County roads crisscross the flatlands and provide you with a great workout as well as a close up view of our county at a less challenging altitude.
Resources
”The Conejos is arguably the best of all the wild rivers in the Southwest,” according to Mark Williams, content writer for Great Outdoor Recreation Pages (GORP). “The feeder streams are big and productive enough that it’d be worthwhile to visit them alone.
Most require at least a hike, and you’ll need a full-fledged backpacking expedition to get to the best parts of them. But if you want true wilderness angling in pristine forests and wide meadows, hit any one of these tributaries.
Some say that if you were ever going to run into a grizzly bear — the last of which was seen in 1979 in the state of Colorado — it will be in the backcountry of the Conejos. Wild, wild, wild.”
Resources
State Wildlife Areas:
There are several State Wildlife Areas in the valley that provide premium waterfowl, turkey, deer, elk hunting and small game hunting. Duck hunting is also very popular and rewarding in the area. Conejos is Spanish for “rabbit”, and they live here in abundance.
If you are looking for larger game, try the La Jara State Wildlife Area and the La Jara Reservoir State Trust Lands. With over 32,000 acres of prime elk hunting terrain it is the biggest State Trust Land in the State of Colorado. You can hunt elk, deer, big horn sheep, black bear, antelope and mountain lions by limited license. Hunting in this area is considered best during the latter part of the season when less hospitable weather forces game down from their summer habitats and into the lower lying areas.
Because of the remote areas offered in the La Jara Lands and Rio Grande National Forest, Conejos county offers some of the most premier elk hunting in the western United States. Elk hunters travel from all over the nation each year to partake of the rugged wilderness and the abundant wildlife.
Resources
State Wildlife Areas:
Conejos County has affordable campsites and RV parks.
Or you can camp on your own in the backcountry (called dispersed camping by the Forest Service).
There are 770 square miles of public lands (Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management), in Conejos County. Within these many acres you can find a scenic spot just for you. Please make sure to pack-out anything you pack-in.
Resources
From short circuit hikes along winding streams to long upwards trails that reward you with breathtaking views, you can pick your own journey.
Colorado trails run from a short jaunt of one mile to an expedition of 23 miles. Come and explore our miles of trails and forest service roads that are just waiting to exceed your expectations.
Considered by many to be the wildest area of Colorado, the Southern Colorado San Juan Wilderness offers 180 miles of trails at elevations ranging from 8,000 ft. to over 13,000 ft. There are more than thirty trails on which you can explore this wilderness. The wilderness area boasts of 158,790 acres of rugged unspoiled terrain.
If you’re really up for a Colorado challenge, check out the various hikes along the Continental Divide. The Divide runs through the western edge of Conejos County through the South San Juan Wilderness and the Rio Grande National Forest offering the true adventure hiker an opportunity of a lifetime.
Resources
Four-wheeling opportunities abound in Conejos County and the Rio Grande National Forest. Within the forest, vehicular travel is restricted to Forest Service roads and trails with numerical designations except for game retrieval during big game hunting season.
Motorized trails are single-track trails open to licensed motorcycles and certain types of ATV’s. Roads having the road number in a vertical format in the Rio Grande National Forest are open to both ATV travel and vehicle travel.
**If you are a Colorado State resident and you are going to operate an off-highway vehicle (OHV), defined as any vehicle that does not have a state license plate, you will need to have it registered. If you are a non-resident, you will need to have your off-highway vehicle registered in your home state and then purchase an OHV. Or, you can choose to register your OHV in Colorado which would exclude you from having to get a permit. You may purchase your ATV registration stickers at the Colorado Division of Parks and Recreation Offices, sporting goods stores and ATV/OHV dealers. For further information, call (303)791-1920.
Resources
Conejos County offers miles of forest service roads that make for great biking. Also, there are wider roads and trails both for families and the more independent adventurer. Miles of unexplored territory await you. Bring your bike, grab a topo map and take a ride.
You may want to stock up on energy food and supplies in Antonito and drive highway 17 into the Conejos Canyon. If you want to start in the mountains, drive to the small town of Horca and take the dirt road to Platoro Reservoir. You might experience a few cars every now and then, but you’ll also see the heart of the Canyon. If climbing isn’t your interest, explore the valley roads around Antonito, Manassa, La Jara, Sanford, Mogote and Fox Creek. County roads crisscross the flatlands and provide you with a great workout as well as a close up view of our county at a less challenging altitude.
