I’ve been in Delores, Colorado for the past 8 nights staying with my friend Julia, who I met recently. Having now lived in Delores for three years, the reason she choose to live here is her love of being outdoors, hiking, trail biking, kayaking, fascination with geology and love of rivers, especially the Delores River that runs right through town. The Delores River formed one of the most impressive natural wonders of the area, the Delores Canyon.
I was able to view the opposing high 1200 foot vertical cliffs from viewpoint that can be reached by taking a right on County Road 15, to the very end, from Colorado State Highway 491 going north from the city of Cortez. Cortez, 10 miles south of Delores, being the gateway to Mesa Verde National Park, has all the services one could require when visiting the Four Corners. Later we found a road that allows vehicles to travel in the canyon along side the Delores River.
Click below to view map.
This road can be found by taking, County Road J, the first right when leaving the overlook and then taking a right on County Road 10 and following it into the canyon and driving it as far as the road allows depending on the type of vehicle one is using. This time of year it’s best to have an SUV or a vehicle with a 4-wheel drive, as the road is very rugged, muddy and snow covered in some places and very narrow with thick shrubs on both sides not allowing vehicles going both directions to pass easily. Generally the more rugged the road the more I love it.
I’ve been here now for 8 nights. Now that I’ve been here for a few days I’ll give you some impressions about the area. First off the there hasn’t been even a threat of rain once, the sky is mostly blue and the humidity is very low. My lips were chapped the first few days, but now it seems at least for now my lips have adjusted and gladly since all of my life I’ve been resistant to using lip balm. Here is an article I found interesting about whether one’s lips can become addicted to skin moisturizer.
Second I love how many outdoor choices one has living in Delores. Boondocking choices seem unlimitless. One could explore a different secluded backroad each day and find a different free camping spot easily for months and maybe years. Of course at higher elevations the ability to drive on these backroads can be quite challenging especially during the winter months. Desert options at lower elevations would be a better choice for the colder snowy months and I may in the future see for myself what winters are like in the Four Corners region.
