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Del Norte Colorado: Ride through the Rockies Short Auto Tour Hike and Fishing Information - Outdoor recreation and wildlife viewing abounds with auto tours, short hikes and fishing just outside of Del Norte Colorado.
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Ride through the Rockies Short Auto Tour, Hikes and Fishing - Outdoor recreation and wildlife viewing abounds with auto tours and short hikes just outside of Del Norte Colorado.
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Ride Through the Rockies Short Auto Tour, Hikes and Fishing! Just outside of Del Norte, Colorado Mileage: 21 miles Time: 1 to 2 hours
Are you looking for something leisurely to do after a full day of recreational activities? The Short Timer's Tour is designed for that purpose. At a total of 21 miles round trip, the tour is the perfect way to end a busy day while offering the opportunity to view wildlife: elk, bobcats, mountain lions, marmots, birds, fish, pine marten, mule deer, rabbits, squirrels and more. Bring your camera, binoculars, fishing equipment and permit.
The Ride:
The tour begins on Forest Road 410 off Hwy 160, 12 miles south of South Fork, Colorado and ends 11 miles later at the edge of the Weminuche Wilderness. There is a big fork in the road before reaching Big Meadows Campground. Take the turn off to the right on Forest Road #430 toward Shaw Lake. You will pass some lakes and creeks in the area as well as some trail heads that lead into the Weminuche Wilderness.
Additional Information:
Even if you don't see wildlife on this tour, you will still enjoy it. The scenery is beautiful as you pass rocky cliffs with beautiful streams beneath them, mountain lakes panoramically enhanced with the Continental Divide and the Weminuche Wlderness, and roads lined with aspen, spruce and fir trees. You will also see flowers such as scarlet gilia, lupine, honeysuckle, bittercrest, and columbine.
Aside from the beautiful drive, the 1/2 mile hike into Hunter's Lake is well worth it for the Scenery.
The avid hiker will find a number of trail heads along this road, most of which wind through the wilderness tying into other trails. These trails vary in difficulty, but all exhibit spectacular scenery.
Fishing:
The fisherman can catch rainbow, brook, cutthroat, and brown trout in the area. For the spin fisherman, both Big Meadows Reservoir and Shaw Lake provide fishing and fun, while local streams often fill a skilled fly-fisherman's creel.
Hunter's Lake occasionally produces 4-6 pound cutthroat trout, but getting them to hit is the trick. |
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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 (719) 657-3321 |
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