McDonald Creek
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Closest City / Town: Fruita, Colorado
Driving Directions: Head out west from Grand Junction on I-70 for about 30 miles to the Rabbit Valley exit (Exit #2). Take a left (south) at the stop sign; cross over the freeway and a cattle guard. Stay on the main road going straight (southwest) for about 2.5 miles. The turn into the canyon is marked by Castle Rocks. When you reach this rock, you'll turn left (east) onto another two-track road which follows the stream bed for about 0.3 miles to a parking area. NOTE: No motorized vehicles or bikes are permitted beyond this point!!! CAUTION: A high-clearance vehicle is recommended to get to the trailhead!!!
Hiking Distance: 3.0 miles (roundtrip)
Description: This is a fun and relatively gentle hike in Colorado (McInnis) Canyons National Conservation Area. Because there really is no trail, hikers simply need to follow the winding path of the usually dry creek bed. Tamarisk litter the last half-mile of the hike. Tamarisk are an invasive species that many states in the Southwest struggle to control.
Worth Noting: Pictographs, pictographs, and yes, more pictographs!!! Moreover, there is amazing camping located at Castle Rocks (refer to the driving directions above).
**Please do not take this area for granted. RESPECT the thousands of years of history evidenced on the walls of the canyon. Do not try to climb up to the pictographs - the rock is not stable and will likely collapse if weight is placed on it.**
Josh, one of this website's authors, wrote a seminar paper on McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area in partial fulfillment of his Advanced Natural Resources course at CU Law. Click on the following link to read the paper: An Agency in Transition: Can the BLM Carve a Sustainable Future Through McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area?
Suggested Materials:
 | Official BLM web site |
Click on the thumbnails below to view a larger image:
Fremont Paintings
Fremont Paintings II
Big Mike by the Colorado River
Fremont Paintings III