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Del Norte Colorado: Ride through the Rockies Auto Tour and Fishing Information - Outdoor recreation and wildlife viewing abounds with auto tours and fishing opportunities just outside of Del Norte Colorado.
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Del Norte, Colorado: Ride Through the Rockies Auto Tour and Fishing Info! Just outside of Del Norte, Colorado. Map and instructions.
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Ride Through the Rockies Auto Tour and Fishing Info! Just outside of Del Norte, Colorado
Mileage: 46 miles Time: 2 to 4 hours
This tour is designed for one of those days when a day in the car sounds pretty good. It's a long tour, but those willing to spend the time can revel in some beautiful scenery as well as see some interesting wildlife: elk, bobcats, mountain lions, marmots, birds, fish, pine marten, mule deer, rabbits, squirrels and more.
The Ride:
The tour begins on Pinos Creek Road, which is on the West end of Del Norte, Colorado on the South side of Hwy 160. The tour ends in the town of South Fork.
The entire tour comprises 3 roads, forest roads #330, 332 and 360. There are numerous logging roads in the area, but the main road is the best maintained and easy to distinguish from the others. Pinos Creek Rd is #330. About 18 miles up Rd 330, you will come to an area called the "chicken foot" because of its 3-toed appearance. There are three roads leading off into different directions from nearly the same point. The tour follows Rd. 332, the road to the right of the others called the Crystal Lakes Road. Follow this raod until you hit the fork that either goes to Poage Lake or to Beaver Creek Reservoir, Rd. 360. Turn right on Rd. 360 toward the reservoir. This road will lead you all the way down into the town of South Fork and back onto Hwy 160.
Fishing:
To complete the tour, continue to follow Rd. 360. If you wish to stop to do a little fishing, however, Rd. 332 will lead you to Poage Lake. Poage Lake is about 1/4 mile hike from the road but is good fishing and quite scenic. The fish that are caught are said to be good eating and healthy looking.
In addition to Poage Lake, Beaver Reservoir is known for good fishing. Beaver Reservoir is on the last part of the loop before you drop down into South Fork. Salmon and several species of trout are caught in the reservoir.
Additional Information:
As you drive through the middle of the loop, you will notice extensive logging operations that occurred in the area. Those operations took place from 1981 to 1984 in order to stop an infestation of the spruce beetle. Spruce beetles get under the bark and destroy the cambium layer of the tree, killing it within a few years.
A severe wind storm in 1978 knocked over many trees and created an ideal situation for a beetle infestation. Spruce beetles, already present in the area in small numbers, dramatically spread.
The area was logged heavily to halt the spread of the beetles and to prevent extensive aesthetic and economic losses had the area been left unmanaged. It happened that beetle numbers did decline, but it is not known whether it was from the logging or from a natural phenomenon, such as a parasite killing off the beetles. The area is now being left to re-vegetate and return to its original condition. |
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Click on Map to Enlarge |
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Geology The geologic history of the area is quite interesting. It began 33 million years ago, during an active period of explosive volcanism. Large amounts of volcanic debris and ash were ejected from huge volcanoes in today's San Juan Mountains. In parts of the San Luis Valley, the ash covered the land in depths up to 1,800 feet. Heat and pressure turned the ash into rock. This layer of rock eroded and cracked, rounding the rock edges, creating mystical shapes and hoo-doos. Information provided courtesy of: Del Norte Ranger District Rio Grande National Forest |
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