Navajo State Park
State Park in Arboles, CO
Hours:
Park: Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Office: Friday through Tuesday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
1526 County Rd 982
Arboles, CO 81121
United States
Navajo State Park
State Park in Arboles, CO
Hours:
Park: Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Office: Friday through Tuesday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
1526 County Rd 982
Arboles, CO 81121
United States
Navigate to:
A wide-angle-lens view of the reservoir with an expansive sky
Welcome to Navajo State Park
Nestled just outside the town of Arboles, 35 miles southwest of Pagosa Springs and 45 miles southeast of Durango, Navajo State Park is a haven for recreation, history, wildlife and the captivating beauty of southwest Colorado. Often hailed as Colorado's answer to Lake Powell, Navajo Reservoir stretches 20 miles south into New Mexico. Boasting 15,000 surface acres, the reservoir attracts year-round water enthusiasts, from sailors and houseboaters to power boaters, as well as anglers and campers.
5,088
acres
142
campsites
15,000
surface-acre reservior
9
miles of trails
Directions
Accessing the Park
From Highway 160
Take US Hwy 160 west from Pagosa Springs for about 17 miles, then turn south onto CO Hwy 151 for about 18 miles to Arboles. Turn left again onto County Road 982 and drive two miles to the park.
The Navajo Visitor Center is located by the park entrance on the northeast side of the park.
Summer Hours (mid-May through September): Sunday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. , and Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Winter Hours (October through mid-May): Friday through Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Wednesday and Thursday.
The boat ramp is located at the marina on the west side of the reservoir, past the town of Arboles and the Windsurf Beach campground.
Boat Ramp Hours: Open from March 1 to November 30, annually.
Marina Phone Number: 970-883-2628
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. |
1 Day |
$4 |
|
DMV vehicle registration renewal option for Colorado residents |
1 Year |
$29 |
|
|
Annual Vehicle Pass (Affixed) |
Pass for a single vehicle and its occupants |
1 Year |
$80 |
|
Family Annual Pass (Hang Tag) |
Members of the same household |
1 Year |
$120 |
|
Aspen Leaf Annual Pass |
Visitors 64+ |
1 Year |
$70 |
|
Centennial Pass |
Income-eligible Colorado residents |
1 Year |
$14 |
|
Columbine Pass |
Colorado residents with disabilities |
1 Year |
$14 |
|
Veterans License Plate |
DMV vehicle registration renewal option for military veterans (disabled veterans or purple heart plates) |
Lifetime |
Free |
|
Independence Lifetime Pass |
Veterans with disabilities |
Lifetime |
Free |
|
Blue Spruce Pass |
First responders with disabilities |
Lifetime |
$10 |
Nature and Wildlife
A watchable wildlife viewing area, migratory birds, mule deer, river otters, bald eagles, a host of plant species and interesting geological elements await the nature explorer at Navajo State Park.
Be on the Lookout for Birds
Can you spot all the resident and visiting bird species? Download the Bird List Brochure (PDF).
Birds You Might Find
- Great-tailed Grackle
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Western Tanager
- Say's Phoebe
Mammals You Might Find
- Mule Deer
- Gray Fox
- Striped Skunk
- Cottontail Rabbit
Reptiles and Amphibians You Might Find
- Common Sagebrush Lizard
- Plateau Fence Lizard
- Plateau Striped Whiptail
Geology at This Park
Uplands within the park are characterized by flat-topped mesas and gently rolling hills, occasionally cut by steep-sided canyons. The uplands are Tertiary sedimentary rocks deposited during Eocene times, which are represented by sandstones and conglomerates of the San Jose and Blanco Basin formations and Telluride Conglomerate. Quaternary surficial deposits are present along both rivers as alluvium, terrace gravels and alluvial fan deposits.
Habitats and Plants at This Park
Park uplands are dominated by pinyon-juniper woodland, sagebrush shrubland and western slope grassland communities. Short-statured pinyon pine and Utah juniper trees with an understory of shrubs and grasses comprise the pinyon-juniper woodland community, occupying dry slopes, hills and mesa tops. Common understory plant species include Gambel oak, big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, western wheatgrass, galleta and blue grama.
Western slope grasslands support the sod-forming blue grama, galleta and western wheatgrass, and the bunchgrasses Indian ricegrass, needle-and-thread grass and Junegrass. Wetland, riparian and aquatic plant communities have become established around the reservoir, in the San Juan and Piedra river valleys above the reservoir and on ground water seeps.
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History
The Ancient Puebloans inhabited the region that is now Navajo State Park until a severe drought forced their departure around 1050 CE. Subsequently, the Ute and Navajo tribes settled in the area during the fourteenth century.
During the early 1880s, the Dominguez-Escalante Expedition, consisting of 10 explorers, ventured into the region to establish a route from New Mexico to California for the Spaniards. In the same era, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad laid tracks, becoming a crucial economic asset until 1967.
In 1962, the construction of the Navajo Dam aimed to provide irrigation water for the Navajo Indian Reservation. Today, the region remains pristine and sparsely populated, with Navajo State Park standing out as a prime destination for water recreation. Offering around 15,000 surface water acres, the park provides abundant opportunities for recreational activities.