Highlands Overnight Adventures

Las Animas County, Comanche National Grassland, 5,371 ft (1,637 m). Southeastern Colorado is sparse on people but tops the list for history, culture and wildlife. Far from empty, this vast high prairie desert unfolds like a dreamscape the more time you spend exploring it. From Jurassic-era seabeds to canyons with the ghosts of conquistadors, this truly is a world unlike any other. Get to know it with a hike through Purgatoire Canyon to the largest concentration of dinosaur tracks in North America.

Learn more about backpacking in Picketwire Canyon during our early summer backpacking trips. More info on our website.

www.coloradobackpackingadventures.com

Thanks for a great backpacking season! We'll be hitting the trail again in the springtime with new adventures, including a prairie desert adventure in Picketwire Canyon.

This new adventure leads you eastward to an assortment of world-class dinosaur tracks over 150 million years old. You'll hike trails once traveled by prehistoric hunters and gathers as well as conquistadors on the hunt for gold as you make your way along the canyon floor. The canyon walls around you hold ancient art created by the Comanche, and etchings that are much older. You'll pass the remnants of the 1800s Delores Mission Church and cemetery as you walk alongside the Purgatory River. Steeped in culture and history, this adventure is an exciting look at Colorado’s past.

Look for more details in early Spring.

www.coloradobackpackingadventures.com
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Kokomo Pass, White River National Forest, 11,184 ft (3,409 m). Colorado still has plenty of open range. In the high country it's not uncommon to come across domestic sheep and a few Chilean herders on the watch for coyotes and mountain lions.

While the herders are friendly, their dogs may not be. So try not to get too close and never split the herd.

Learn more about backpacking in Colorado with our late summer backpacking trips. More info on our website.

www.coloradobackpackingadventures.com
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Sunrise on the trail. Yum.

Learn about backpacking in Colorado with our autumn backpacking trips. More info on our website.

www.coloradobackpackingadventures.com
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Fall can be great for fishing on the trail. As the runoff ceases and rivers have less flow, it's often easier to know where the fish will be. Fans of deeper water, especially during a sunlit day, trout settle down in the deeper channels formed by the current and face upstream.

Just remember that on smaller rivers if you can see the fish, they can also see you. So, sneak up on them by hiding behind willows or trees, mind your shadow, don’t make a lot of noise, and avoid super bright clothing.

www.coloradobackpackingadventures.com
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You never know what you'll find on the trail. This long railroad tunnel runs beneath Tennessee Pass, just off the Colorado Trail.

Abandoned in 1997, this section of the Denver and Sante Fe Western Railroad once connected mines around Aspen to processing plants in Pueblo.

Today, the railroad line is considered "embargoed", or potentially ready for a return to service.

Learn about backpacking in Colorado with our late summer backpacking trips. More info on our website.

www.coloradobackpackingadventures.com
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Avery and Nala at an old miner's cabin. Tenmile Range, San Isabel National Forest.

Learn about backpacking in Colorado with our late summer backpacking trips. More info on our website.

www.coloradobackpackingadventures.com
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Boulders in the high country have stories all their own.

Carried here by glaciers during the last glacial period (ice age), these boulders—and countless others—have been at the foot of Galena Mountain for a very long time. Today they are home to ground squirrels and marmots and make excellent emergency shelter walls.

Learn more about backpacking in Colorado with our late summer backpacking trips. More info on our website.

http://www.coloradobackpackingadventures.com

The Tenkara method of fly fishing is perfect for backpacking. All you need to carry is a collapsible rod, fly line and a handful of fly lures. My rig is 7 ounces total.

What's my go-to fly? A modified Utah killer bug.

Learn more about backpacking in Colorado with our late summer backpacking trips. More info on our website.

www.coloradobackpackingadventures.com
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Wildflowers are still in bloom in the high country.

This year has been great for wildflowers and there's still plenty to see. Check them out on a guided overnight trips. Learn more about overnight adventures on our website.

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Sweet camping spot, Segments 16 and 17, Colorado Trail

Segments 16 and 17 are considered lightly trafficked, especially later in the season. There are a lot of elk and numerous fishing opportunities, from meandering rivers to numerous beaver ponds.

Learn more about backpacking the Colorado Trail with our beginner backpacking trips. More info on our website.

Link in bio.
www.coloradobackpackingadventures.com
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