Sand Canyon Trail System
Durango to TH
61 Miles
Gain
656 Feet
Condition
Fair
Region
Trail Length
19 Miles
Trails in this system
Located near Cortez, Colorado and situated in the deserts of the southwest, this National Monument boasts the largest concentration of Pueblo Indian (Anasazi) ruins in the U.S. with about 6,000 recorded archaeological sites! These are just the sites that have been recorded and documented. The popular Sand Canyon Trail is 6.5 miles (one-way) from Sand Canyon Pueblo down to the lower trailhead in McElmo Canyon. The trail is open to hiking, horseback riding, and mountain bicycling, but the upper section is steep and rugged– not recommended for bicycles. Part of the singletrack dirt trail crosses slick rock marked with rock cairns. Combining the main canyon trail with other trails, such as the East Rock Creek Trail, makes for an enjoyable loop. Do not enter structures, climb on walls, take or move artifacts, or touch rock art–the oils on your skin accelerate deterioration of this rare evidence of past lives. Collect nothing and leave what you see for others to enjoy. Pack out your trash and do not leave “offerings.” These only confuse the meaning of the sites.
History: There are points of interest to the north and for people wanting to educate themselves about the Pueblo culture they can visit the Anasazi Heritage Center, the Canyons of the Ancients headquarters with some of the best information available. This is a museum with artifacts, historical information, maps and much more.
Map & Directions
Map Coordinates: 37.341476, -108.817644
Where's the Trailhead?
dIRECTIONS TO TRAILHEAD
Main Trailhead (Canyon of the Ancients Parking Area)
Secondary Canyon of the Ancients Parking Area
Sand Canyon Pueblo Parking Area
To main trailhead:
Sand Canyon Trails are located about 12 miles north of Cortez on Highway 184. To reach the McElmo Canyon trailhead, head south of Cortez on Highway 491. Turn right (west) on County Road G at the signs for the airport and/or Hovenweep National Monument. Go 12 miles on this paved road. Trailhead parking is an unimproved slickrock surface on the north (right) side of the road. An additional parking area was added to Sand Canyon just east of the Canyon of the Ancients main trailhead. A 0.4-mile singletrack trail connects this secondary parking area to the main trail system.
Trailwork
help build our trails!
Thursday, September 12 Trailwork
Join us for a weekday trailwork party at [location TBD]. Thank you for volunteering with Trails 2000 at our trailwork party on Thursday, September 12 from 4:30 to 7:30pm!