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Recreation

Come and enjoy the natural splendor of the San Juan Mountains and your public lands! The stunning scenery ranges from high desert mesas and canyons to high alpine peaks and meadows. Recreational opportunities abound from fishing to biking, hunting to hiking, OHV riding to simply going to for drive along one of our scenic forest roads. 

In addition, did you know that the San Juan National Forest includes four Wilderness Areas and a National Monument? Explore Chimney Rock National Monument, a culturally-rich area where you can take a step back in time and imagine the landscape as it was a thousand years ago with cultivated fields and settlements extending from the valley floors to the mesa tops.

Looking for outfitters or guides to take you on your San Juan adventure? Visit our Tours page.

Recreation

Showing: 11 - 20 of 147 results

Cascade Creek Trail

Hiking Horse Riding and Camping Biking Hunting, Fishing and Shooting Winter Sports
Cascade Creek Trail passes by several beautiful views and waterfalls. There are two trails, on either side of the creek. The trail on the east is a stock driveway that is steep and muddy in spots.…

Cave Basin Trail

Hiking Horse Riding and Camping
Cave Basin Trail starts off wide and well defined but soon disappears, and the majority of the hike is bushwhacking. The trail is distinctive from a distance, but once you are on the trail it is hard…

Cayton Campground

Site Closed
Picnicking Hunting, Fishing and Shooting Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) Hiking
Cayton Campground, located off Highway 145 north of Rico has 27 campsites and 3 picnic sites along the Dolores River. Two loops offer a choice of sites. The lower loop near the river has 14 mostly…

Chris Park / Haviland Lake Trail System

Hiking Horse Riding and Camping Winter Sports Biking Hunting, Fishing and Shooting
Chris Park / Haviland Lake Trail System includes a series of interconnected trails that meander through the Haviland and Chris Park area. The trails are good for hiking and horseback riding in the…

Chris Park Group Campground

Site Closed
Water Activities Hiking Biking Horse Riding and Camping Picnicking Hunting, Fishing and Shooting
The Chris Park Group Campground, one mile south of Haviland Lake on Forest Rd. 166, has 3 group campsites. Two group sites accommodate 75 campers each. A third group site accommodates up to 150…

Cimarrona Campground

Site Open
Picnicking Hunting, Fishing and Shooting Water Activities
Cimarrona Campground is located next to Cimarrona Creek with views of the meadow and Williams Reservior to the south. The campground has 21 sites. There are both sunny and shady sites to choose…

City Reservoir Trail

Hiking Horse Riding and Camping Hunting, Fishing and Shooting
Begin the hike to the City Reservoir on the Lime Mesa Trail #676. Take the trail ½ mile to the junction with the City Reservoir Trail #542. The trail follows rolling terrain up and down mesas into…

Clear Creek Trail

Hiking Horse Riding and Camping Hunting, Fishing and Shooting
Located in the Hermosa Wilderness, Clear Creek Trail #550 drops 2,800 feet from Junction Creek Road to Hermosa Creek Trail with very little uphill in between. The trail has been overgrown from the…

Coal Creek Trail

Hiking Horse Riding and Camping Biking
Coal Creek Trail climbs up through fairly steep terrain, passing through a predominantly coniferous forest. There are occasional breaks in the trees that offer scenic views of the West Needles. The…

Coal Creek Trailhead

Hiking Horse Riding and Camping Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV)
The Coal Creek Trailhead is the beginning of Coal Creek Trail (581). The trail is 8.8 miles long. It begins at Forest Road 667 - East Fork Rd. and ends at Forest Road 666 - Fawn Gulch Road.The trail…