12/17/2023 0 Comments Comanche national grasslandThere are three permanent springs at the bottom of the canyon which provide ample opportunity for you to view wildlife, especially in the early morning or just before sunset. Vogel Canyon, carved by waters from what is now a tributary of the Purgatoire River, is sandstone with scattered stands of piñon pine and shortgrass prairie. If you embrace an authentic outdoor experience where the scenes look almost exactly the same as they might have been seen by people centuries before, exploring the Comanche National Grassland should be included in your next outdoor adventure. However, due to the remoteness, visitors are advised to be well prepared when they take off on their adventures. There is also a handful of well-marked canyon hiking trails that range in difficulty from easy (due to distance and accessibility) to extreme (due to distance and areas of terrain). This area has a lot to offer travelers and explorers interested in wilderness camping and backpacking as well as horseback riding enthusiasts who like to go on trail rides. As one traveler described it, "You drive through flat plains for miles and then, all of a sudden, you come up on canyons with some beautiful scenery." Many parts of the canyons hold extraordinary record of pre-historic and historic residents who left their marks upon the land. Much of the Grassland is remote, allowing travelers unobstructed views of the plains that stretch all the way to the distant horizon with no sign of civilization in sight, providing a sense of the "endless ocean of grass" often referenced in the diaries of the first settlers. Both units have privately owned tracts of ranch land mixed in with government owned land. The Carrizo Unit is south of Springfield. The Timpas Unit is located south of La Junta. Forest Service, is divided into two sections, each operated by a local ranger district. The area draws its name from the Comanche who, along with the Kiowa and Arapaho, lived and hunted these lands prior to European settlement. Speaking from personal experience, the landowners in these parts are super chill.The Comanche National Grassland in southeastern Colorado encompasses nearly 435,000 acres with expanses of short prairie grass that extend for miles in all directions, pristine Canyonlands, woodlands of juniper and piñon pine along with an abundance of diverse wildlife. I'd highly recommend checking it out sometime, don't let the private property scare you away. Signs at the property boundary usually indicate "Stay on County Road next X miles", or something to that effect.ĭefinitely an underrated and overlooked part of Colorado. There are vast ranch properties out here that have county roads that cross them. I believe the USFS also has maps available for Comanche for free download on their website. Any map App like OnX, Gaia, CalTopo, etc will show where the public/private lands are. It's literally as easy as driving up to a ranch house and knocking on the door. Crossing private land is common in these parts, especially in hunter's circles (just be sure to find the landowner of whose property you are to cross and let them know of your intentions). ![]() Yes, there is quite a bit of private land sprinkled in/around the public land, but for the most part, the private land is unsigned/not looked after. Picture Canyon and Carrizo Canyon have petroglyphs and very limited climbing opportunities, but decent designated campgrounds, as well as more dispersed camping. A lot of this area was taken over by the federal government following the abandonment of many farms following the dust bowl. In the southern sector you have Picture Canyon, Carrizo Canyon, Sand Canyon, plus vast amounts of open prairie not in a canyon setting. Excellent hiking, rock hounding, bouldering, dinosaur tracks, and petroglyphs. In the northern sector you'll find Picket Wire and Vogel Canyons, which has a developed campground (Withers Canyon), as well as plenty of dispersed camping along various grassland roads. So there are two sectors of the Comanche National Grasslands, north and south. McCannster - 3:32 pm - Voted 10/10 Re: Great photo!
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