Pike & San Isabel National Forests
Cimarron & Comanche National Grasslands

USDA Forest Service
Pike & San Isabel
National Forests
Cimarron & Comanche
National Grasslands
2840 Kachina Drive
Pueblo, CO 81008
719-553-1400

Telephone for the
Hearing Impaired
719-553-1404

Picket Wire Canyonlands- Elevation 4,660 feet 

According to legend, a group of Spanish soldiers died in the Purgatoire River Valley while looking for lost treasures in the 17th century. Without having the benefits of clergy to perform their last rites, these men would be lost souls, banished to Purgatory. After this, the river became known as "El Rio de las Perdidas en Purgatorio", the River of Lost Souls in Purgatory. By the 18th century, adventurous Frenchman began to hunt and trap in this area and called the river Purgatoire (French for Purgatory). Then, as the area became settled, the French pronunciation was corrupted into Picket Wire.

For more information or information regarding auto tours, contact:

Comanche National Grassland
1420 E 3rd St
La Junta, CO 81050
719-384-2181
Monday-Friday, 8am to 5pm, closed 12-1 for lunch

LOCATION:

Withers Canyon Trailhead is the only public access into Picket Wire Canyonlands. Hiking, non-motorized bicycles, and horseback riding are permitted.

From La Junta, Colorado drive south on Highway 109 for 13 miles; turn right (west) on County Road 802 (David Canyon Road) and continue for 8 miles. Turn left (south) on County Road 25 and travel for 6 miles. Turn left at Picket Wire Corrals onto Forest Service Road 500A. Travel along Forest Service Road 500A for 3 miles, following the signs to Withers Canyon Trailhead. Park at Withers Canyon Trailhead parking loop.

From Springfield, Colorado drive west on Highway 160 for 48 miles, then turn right (north) on Highway 109 for 43 miles; turn left (west) on County Road 802 (David Canyon Road) and continue for 8 miles. Turn left (south) on County Road 25 and continue for 6 miles. Turn left at Picket Wire Corrals onto Forest Service Road 500A. Travel along Forest Service Road 500A for 3 miles, following the signs to Withers Canyon Trailhead. Park at Withers Canyon Trailhead parking loop.

ATTRACTIONS:

As the largest documented Dinosaur Tracksite in North America, it extends 1/4 of a mile and contains over 1300 visible tracks that comprise about 100 different trackways. 150 million years ago, two types of dinosaurs, Allosaurs (or related theropods) and Brontosaurs left their footprints along the muddy shoreline of a large shallow lake.

Forty percent of the tracks were left by the Brontosaurs, a massive four footed plant eater. Parallel trackways indicate that several younger Brontosaurus were traveling as a group heading west along the shoreline. This evidence of social behavior among younger brontosaurs is the first of its kind from the Morrison Formation.

Sixty percent of the tracks were left by the Allosaurus, a two footed, ferocious, meat eating scavenger who possibly hunted in packs and left three towed footprints behind.

Rock Art, images carved or painted onto a rock surface, can be found in Picketwire Canyonlands. Due to lack of research, very little is known of the prehistoric American Indians of the area. Archaeologists think they were a nomadic, hunter-gatherer people whose visits were short as they followed migrating game. Some of the rock art in this area may be 375 to 4500 years old. Further study of this area should yield more information on their lives. Please do not touch or disturb rock art in any way.

The Dolores Mission and Cemetery was built sometime betweeen 1871 and 1889 when Mexican Pioneers first began permanent settlement in the valley. Partial remains of the Mission and Cemetery are still visable.

The Rourke Ranch, also known as the Wineglass Ranch, was a cattle and horse ranch founded by Eugene Rourke in 1871. Three generations of the Rourke family lived and worked on the ranch ensuring its survival over a span of a hundred years. When the ranch was sold in 1971, it was known as one of the oldest and most successful enterprises in southeast Colorado, expanding from Eugene's original settlement of 40 acres to well over 52,000 acres.

SPECIAL USER FEE:

None

USE:

Heavy - spring and fall
Moderate - summer
Light - winter

APPROXIMATE MILEAGES:

Start your hike at the Withers Canyon Trailhead parking loop. Follow the trail east-northeast to a brown pipe gate. From this point, the trail descends 250 feet in elevation into Withers Canyon. Then, the trail follows a dirt two-track road (east) into Picket Wire Canyon. Once in Picket Wire Canyon, the trail turns south/southwest and heads up canyon. Trail markers are placed approximately every 1.5 miles. Please leave gates as you find them.

FACILITIES:

4 vault toilets (located at Picket Wire Corrals, Withers Canyon Trailhead, Dinosaur Tracksite, Rourke Ranch)
drinking water NOT available

SAFETY TIPS:

General:

Good physical condition is essential to the enjoyment of your hike as well as to your personal safety. Know your limits and the limits of the weakest member of your group. You are only allowed in the canyonlands area from dawn to dusk, so plan your hike carefully. Overnight camping is not allowed in Picket Wire Canyonlands. Camping is permitted at the Corrals or the Withers Canyon Trailhead.

Solo hiking can be extremely risky and requires careful attention to planning and to potential safety hazards. Always notify someone of your expected route, departure and return times. In case of emergency, call the Otero County Sheriff Office, 719-384-5941 or 911.

You may encounter animals such as prairie rattlesnakes, scorpions, and centipedes. Encounters are very rare, but you should avoid tall grass and watch where you sit and place your hands and feet. During cooler months, snakes are found sunning themselves. During hot months, snakes will seek shady spots. Scorpions and centipedes are generally found underneath wood or rocks, or in rock crevices.

Deer flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and bees are common during late spring, summer and early fall. Please bring insect repellant and an Epi-pen if you are allergic to insect stings.

There are not any developed trails in the canyon. Please watch your step! At times you will be walking over loose rocks, wire, cactus, animal holes in the ground, and slick rocks.

Be prepared for sudden changes in weather conditions and high winds. If a flash flood should occur, seek higher ground immediately.

Bring any medication you may need.

Bring a first aid kit.

Attain the most current weather forecast and road conditions in planning for your trip.

Pets should be restrained. Do not let them harass other recreationists or wildlife.

Pack out all trash.

Wildfire is a potential risk--Do NOT throw cigarette butts on the ground!

Water:

There is no drinkable water in Picketwire Canyonlands. Carry at least 1 gallon of water per person. Thirst will not occur until you are already dehydrated, so drink before you are thirsty.

Clothing:

High-top hiking boots and long jeans are strongly recommended. Prickly pear and cholla cactus are abundant in the canyon. We also suggest you bring old tennis shoes if you desire to cross the river.

During early fall, late spring, and summer months, be prepared for the heat! Wear a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and insect repellant. Temperatures can reach up to 110 degrees during the summer months.

Dress warmly for fall, winter and early spring. We suggest you "layer" clothing in preparation for changing weather conditions.

Bring rain gear during any season.

River:

River water is not potable. Please do not drink it.

Please be careful when crossing the river. Even though the river may look shallow, in places there are sudden, deep drop-offs.

MAP:

Click image for enlarged map:

CONSERVATION & PROTECTION:

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: (719) 384-2181 or in Springfield: (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.