Vogel Canyon Picnic Area

Vogel Canyon is a scenic tributary of the Purgatoire River. Permanent springs at the bottom of the canyon support a variety of wildlife, which can best be seen early in the morning or just before sunset. Vogel Canyon has a rich history. American Indians lived in the canyon 300-800 years ago and left rock art which is visible on the canyon walls.

During the 1870s, a spur off the Santa National Historic Fe Trail (between Las Animas and Trinidad) was developed by the Barlow and Sanderson Mail and Stage Line. Sections of the stage coach road and ruins of the station can still be found. Settled during the Depression Era, stone walled ruins from the Westbrook homestead still stand.

Four hiking trails lead visitors through the riparian, canyonland and shortgrass prairie vegetation found in the canyon and surrounding plains.

Facilities:

3 covered picnic tables with grills (charcoal fires allowed in grills only)
1 vault toilet
4 hiking trails
2 horse hitching rails
Horse trailer parking
No drinking water 

Camping: No camping is allowed in Vogel Canyon.

Trail safety: 

• Please carry water with you. Spring water is not safe to drink.
• Look for cairns, or stone post, to help you locate the trails. Please stay on trails.
• Pay attention to the trail. Shortgrass prairie and rocky areas are home to rattlesnakes and cacti.

As you enter this area, please remember that you are the guardian of this unique canyon. Rock art, stone tools, charred bones and rubble from dwellings provide evidence that people thrived on the Comanche National Grassland for thousands of years. Each relic of the past holds a clue that archaeologists use to reconstruct life here long ago. These cultural resources are ancient, fragile and irreplaceable. If destroyed or removed, the information they reveal is lost forever and so is a legacy that belongs to us all.

Please do not touch rock art! Oils from your hands promote deterioration of the drawings and the rock surface. Do not draw or scratch graffiti on rocks or cliff faces. Graffiti defaces a fragile, irreplaceable legacy.

All cultural resources on public lands are protected by law. The Antiquities Act and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act impose fines and penalties for disturbing or removing artifacts.

Please help protect our past. Report any acts of vandalism to the Comanche National Grassland office in La Junta at 719-384-2181 or in Springfield at 719-523-6591. We thank you for observing the rules for this area and for helping us to preserve this valuable resource. Please be part of the solution, not part of the problem.