The area where Navajo State Park now sits was originally inhabited by the Ancient Puebloans who abandoned the area around 1050 A.D. because of a serious drought at that time. The Ute and Navajo tribes settled the area during the 14th century.
The 10 explorers of the Dominguez-Escalante Expedition were some of the first white men entering the area. Their mission was to create a route from New Mexico to California for the Spaniards. In the early 1880s, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad laid their tracks in the area. The railroad served the area until 1967 and was an important part of the economy.
The Navajo dam was constructed in 1962 for irrigation water for the Navajo Indian Reservation. To this day, the area remains unpolluted and sparsely populated. Navajo State Park is one of the best reservoirs in Colorado for water recreation. With approximately 15,000 surface water acres available, the recreational opportunities seem endless.
