Mountain Biking:

Dolores, Colorado, offers a variety of mountain biking trails suitable for riders of all skill levels.

Mountain Biking Trails near Dolores:

The Boggy Draw Trail System, located approximately 10 miles northwest of Dolores, offers miles of well-maintained singletrack trails winding through the San Juan National Forest. Phil’s World is renowned for its excellent mountain biking trails, offering riders thrilling rides through slickrock terrain and scenic desert landscapes. The San Juan National Forest surrounding Dolores offers a variety of mountain biking trails, from easy family-friendly rides to challenging technical descents. Trails like the Chicken Creek Trail, Calico Trail, and Stoner Mesa Loop offer riders the chance to explore the forest’s diverse terrain and scenery. Other trails include the Calico Trail, Balsam Trail, and McPhee Overlook Trail, each offering unique challenges and stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

Hunting:

Dolores, Colorado, offers excellent hunting opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. With its diverse landscapes and abundant wildlife, hunters will find a variety of game species to pursue throughout the hunting seasons.

Big Game Hunting:

Dolores and the surrounding areas are renowned for their elk populations, providing both over-the-counter and limited draw hunting opportunities in Game Management Units (GMUs) 71, 72, and 73. Mule deer hunting is also excellent, with both limited draw and over-the-counter tags available in the same GMUs. Black bear hunting is another popular pursuit, with limited draw bear tags available or hunters can pursue bears during the rifle seasons with an elk or deer tag.

Small Game and Upland Bird Hunting:

Turkey hunting in Dolores and the surrounding areas is excellent, with opportunities to pursue both Merriam’s and Rio Grande subspecies during the spring and fall turkey hunting seasons. The area is also home to several reservoirs, rivers, and wetland areas that provide habitat for waterfowl, including ducks, geese, and other species during the designated hunting seasons.

Hunting Regulations and Access:

Hunters must familiarize themselves with Colorado hunting regulations before hunting in the Dolores area. Specific regulations for each species and hunting unit can be found on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website. Access to hunting areas near Dolores is primarily on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service.

Fishing:

Dolores, Colorado, is surrounded by pristine rivers, streams, and reservoirs, offering excellent fishing opportunities for anglers of all skill levels.

Fly Fishing Opportunities near Dolores:

The Dolores River provides excellent fly fishing opportunities. The Upper Dolores River is a classic freestone stream that flows through canyons and valleys, offering challenging fishing conditions and the chance to target wild trout species such as rainbow, brown, and cutthroat trout, as well as mountain whitefish. The Lower Dolores River flows through a desert canyon landscape, offering a unique fly fishing experience for trout, smallmouth bass, and northern pike.

McPhee Reservoir, a large impoundment on the Dolores River, offers excellent fishing for trout, bass, perch, and other warmwater species. Surrounding mountain streams and lakes provide more secluded fishing opportunities in an alpine setting, with trout species such as cutthroat, rainbow, and brook trout. Examples include the West Dolores River, Lizard Head Creek, Calico Creek, Bear Creek, and Elk Creek.

Several fly shops and outfitters operate in the Dolores area, offering guided fly fishing trips, gear rental, and other services to anglers.

Mountain Biking:

Dolores, Colorado, offers a variety of mountain biking trails suitable for riders of all skill levels.

Mountain Biking Trails near Dolores:

The Boggy Draw Trail System, located approximately 10 miles northwest of Dolores, offers miles of well-maintained singletrack trails winding through the San Juan National Forest. Phil’s World is renowned for its excellent mountain biking trails, offering riders thrilling rides through slickrock terrain and scenic desert landscapes. The San Juan National Forest surrounding Dolores offers a variety of mountain biking trails, from easy family-friendly rides to challenging technical descents. Trails like the Chicken Creek Trail, Calico Trail, and Stoner Mesa Loop offer riders the chance to explore the forest’s diverse terrain and scenery. Other trails include the Calico Trail, Balsam Trail, and McPhee Overlook Trail, each offering unique challenges and stunning views of the surrounding landscape.