Mancos State Park
State Park in Mancos, CO
Hours:
Park: Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Visitor Center: Daily 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10-$15
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
42545 Road N
Mancos, CO 81328
United States
Mancos State Park
State Park in Mancos, CO
Hours:
Park: Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Visitor Center: Daily 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10-$15
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
42545 Road N
Mancos, CO 81328
United States
Navigate to:
Montezuma County Fire Ban -
A ban is in affect for unincorporated areas of the county, including Mancos State Park. No wood burning campfires or open burning allowed. Charcoal and gas grilling are allowed. All fires must always be contained in designated fire rings or grills.
A group of people riding horses on a dirt trail
Activities and Trails
What to Do at Mancos
Surrounded by the stunning scenery of the San Juan Mountains and the archaeological mysteries of southwestern Colorado, Mancos is a great destination for a getaway any time of year. Boating, fishing, hiking, biking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing are a few of the activities visitors can enjoy.
Activities
- Biking
- Birding
- Boating
- Camping
- Education Programs
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Horseback Riding
- Ice Fishing
- Picnicking
- Snowshoeing
- Snowtubing
- Swimming
- Volleyball
- Wildlife Viewing
- Yurts
Best of Mancos
Jackson Gulch Reservoir
The main attraction at Mancos State Park is Jackson Gulch Reservoir. Visitors can enjoy kayaking, canoeing, sailing and fishing on the reservoir.
Picnicking
There are 10 picnic sites for day use, scattered throughout the park.
Wildlife Viewing
Mancos State Park is very quiet in the fall, winter and early spring, so the park offers excellent wildlife-viewing opportunities. Mule deer, Merriam’s turkey, foxes, coyotes, Abert's squirrels, an occasional elk and a variety of other wonderful creatures have been spotted at the park.
Yurts
As a hidden epicenter to explore the cultural resources in the southwest region of Colorado, make Mancos State Park your home base and stay in one of our two yurts that offer a heated alternative to camping in our primitive campgrounds. Heated yurts make great base camps for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.
Upcoming Events
Sep
10
Hiring Q&A — Parks and Wildlife Officers
Sep 10, 2026 · 6:00pm - Sep 10, 2026 · 7:00pm
We're hiring! Join us on Zoom on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, at 6 p.m. for a Q&A about the hiring process to become a Parks or...
Sep
10
Hiring Q&A — Parks and Wildlife Officers
Sep 10, 2026 · 6:00pm - Sep 10, 2026 · 7:00pm
We're hiring! Join us on Zoom on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, at 6 p.m. for a Q&A about the hiring process to become a Parks or...
Sep
10
Hiring Q&A — Parks and Wildlife Officers
Sep 10, 2026 · 6:00pm - Sep 10, 2026 · 7:00pm
We're hiring! Join us on Zoom on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, at 6 p.m. for a Q&A about the hiring process to become a Parks or...
Sep
10
Hiring Q&A — Parks and Wildlife Officers
Sep 10, 2026 · 6:00pm - Sep 10, 2026 · 7:00pm
We're hiring! Join us on Zoom on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, at 6 p.m. for a Q&A about the hiring process to become a Parks or...
Hiking, Biking and Horseback Riding
Trails
A 5.5-mile system of trails weaves through Mancos and meets Chicken Creek Trail, which connects with a network of trails on United States Forest Service land, as well as the Durango-to-Denver Colorado Trail.
Mountain Lion Trail
0.6 miles, non-paved
Hiking, biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing
Dog friendly
Mule Deer Trail
3.1 miles, non-paved
Hiking, biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing
Dog friendly
Black Bear Trail
1.9 miles, non-paved
Hiking, biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing
Dog friendly
Mountain Lion Trail
0.6 miles, non-paved
Hiking, biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing
Dog friendly
Mule Deer Trail
3.1 miles, non-paved
Hiking, biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing
Dog friendly
Black Bear Trail
1.9 miles, non-paved
Hiking, biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing
Dog friendly
Activities
US Forest Land
Mancos State Park is close to National Forest Service lands and is the perfect base camp for park visitors wanting to participate in activities not available in the park.
Mancos trails connect to numerous National Forest trails and the Denver-to-Durango Colorado Trail, giving visitors more hiking, biking and horseback riding opportunities.
There are no hunting opportunities inside Mancos State Park, but the park is a great basecamp for turkey, deer, elk and other hunting just outside the park in the San Juan National Forest. High-quality elk, deer and bear hunting opportunities are offered by limited draw at nearby Lone Mesa State Park.
Off-highway vehicles cannot be used anywhere in the park, but Mancos State Park provides a great basecamp for trailering machines to the amazing Aspen Loop Trail and several other nearby National Forest OHV trails.
Although there are no snowmobile trails in the park, Mancos is an excellent staging area for snowmobiling from the nearby West Mancos Trailhead in the San Juan National Forest, which is less than two miles from Mancos State Park. The trailhead gives snowmobilers access to hundreds of miles of trails. Go snowmobiling on the West Mancos Trail and stay in one of the heated yurts at Mancos.