Lone Mesa State Park
State Park in Mancos, CO
Hours:
Visitor Center: There are no regular off-season (October to mid-May) hours. Call ahead before planning to visit the Visitor Center.
Entrance Fees:
Hunting Access By Permit
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
42545 Road N
Mancos, CO 81328
United States
Lone Mesa State Park
State Park in Mancos, CO
Hours:
Visitor Center: There are no regular off-season (October to mid-May) hours. Call ahead before planning to visit the Visitor Center.
Entrance Fees:
Hunting Access By Permit
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
42545 Road N
Mancos, CO 81328
United States
Navigate to:
A dirt path trailing through lush greenery
Welcome to Lone Mesa State Park
Lone Mesa State Park, located 23 miles north of Dolores, spans 11,618 acres with elevations from 7,200 to 9,000 feet. The park, known for its stunning scenery, offers a Special Use Permit program for limited public hunting during big-game seasons, featuring excellent elk, deer and bear habitat. Access to the park is presently restricted to hunting, volunteer and educational programs.
11,618
acres
Directions
Accessing the Park
From Cortez/Gallup
Take Highway 160 east from Cortez toward Mancos and Durango, then turn north on Highway 145 toward Dolores. Follow the directions below for reaching the park from Dolores.
From Denver/Durango
Drive through South Park via Highway 285, heading south and passing through Fairplay, near Buena Vista, through Saguache, over Wolf Creek Pass and into Pagosa Springs. Continue on Highway 160 west from Pagosa Springs through Durango and Hesperus until you reach the town of Mancos. At Mancos, turn onto Highway 184 toward Dolores.
Follow the directions below for reaching the park from Dolores. Total distance from Denver is about 400 miles. Depending on weather conditions, road construction and other variables, routes through Grand Junction, or south through Pueblo/ Walsenburg/Alamosa/Monte Vista, are also options.
From Dolores
From Dolores, take Forest Roads 526 and 514 north and west to the park.
There are no regular off-season (October to mid-May) hours. Call ahead, 970-533-7065, before planning to visit the Visitor Center.
Park information, other area public lands information, boat, snowmobile and off-highway vehicle registrations, as well as hunting and fishing licenses, are available nearby at Navajo State Park or the CPW Area 15 Office, 151 E 16th St, Durango.
Fees and Passes
Pass |
Description |
Duration |
Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Daily Vehicle Pass |
Single vehicle and its occupants |
1 Day |
$10 |
|
Individual Daily Pass |
For individual entry on foot, bicycle, horseback, etc at select parks |
1 Day |
$4 |
|
DMV vehicle registration renewal option for Colorado residents |
12 Months |
$29 |
|
|
Annual Vehicle Pass (Affixed) |
Pass for a single vehicle and its occupants |
12 Months |
$80 |
|
Family Annual Pass (Hang Tag) |
Members of the same household |
12 Months |
$120 |
|
Aspen Leaf Annual Pass |
Visitors 64+ |
12 Months |
$70 |
|
Centennial Pass |
Income-eligible Colorado residents |
12 Months |
$14 |
|
Columbine Pass |
Colorado residents with disabilities |
12 Months |
$14 |
|
Veterans License Plate |
DMV vehicle registration renewal option for military veterans (disabled veterans or purple heart plates) |
Lifetime |
Free |
|
Independence Lifetime Pass |
Colorado resident veterans with disabilities |
Lifetime |
Free |
|
Blue Spruce Pass |
Colorado resident first responders with disabilities |
Lifetime |
$10 |
Nature and Wildlife
Lone Mesa State Park covers approximately 12,000 acres, including Lone Mesa and the headwaters of Plateau Creek. It is recognized as a crown jewel due to its significant natural resource diversity and expansive landscape.
Mammals You Might Find
- Elk
- Deer
- Black Bear
Geology at This Park
Once atop the mesa, the views of the La Plata Mountains, Lone Cone and the 14,000-foot peaks surrounding Telluride leave you short of breath, even if the climb hasn't. From vantages on the mesa's crest, you could spend all day taking in the majesty of the surrounding geology, spying on elk sneaking through the Gambel oak, catching a glimpse of the numerous but elusive coyote or gazing into the ocean of stars in the light pollution-free expanse above you.
Habitats and Plants at This Park
At its south end, the park is dominated by open sagebrush shrubland through which Plateau Creek quietly meanders. Along the creek and atop nearby benches, outcroppings of Mancos shale spring up. These shale barrens offer unique habitat for a variety of hearty species, including the extremely rare Colorado-native Physaria pulvinata, or cushion bladderpod, and the Astragalus bisulcatus, or fabaceae.
Moving north through the park, the landscape changes from open shrubland and meadow to rolling hillsides of Gambel-oak-dominated understory with intermingled ponderosa pine. Ranging in elevation from 7,500–8,500 feet, these low-density pine forests host a number of nesting and roosting sites, and provide excellent habitat for a number of large and small mammals.
Much of the park's glory lies above 8,000 feet as you climb through the canyons leading to the top of Lone Mesa, where you pass aspen trees over 24 inches in diameter, yellow-bark ponderosas that are over 400 years old and the canyon rim zones that hold not only the aspen gold but also stringers of Douglas fir and pine.
Upcoming Events
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History
Colorado Parks and Wildlife, in collaboration with Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), is embarking on exciting projects, notably transforming Lone Mesa into a treasured park in southwestern Colorado. While the property was being acquired, an initial development vision was outlined, laying the groundwork for discussions about the park’s future.
In late 2006, GOCO allocated planning funds to Colorado State Parks to kickstart development planning for Lone Mesa. This process has included open houses and public forums to gather the community's input on the park's vision.
Simultaneously, ongoing projects aim to consolidate Lone Mesa's boundaries, enhance access and integrate the park with surrounding public lands. Once these projects are completed, the next planning phase will set the stage for park development.
Meanwhile, crucial planning efforts continue at Lone Mesa, including stewardship assessments (forest health, noxious weeds, fire fuels, wildlife), archeological and cultural resource assessments, mapping and surveying. These endeavors will shape the future of Lone Mesa State Park, aligning with Colorado Parks and Wildlife's mission to preserve wildlife resources and offer sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities for present and future generations.