Stop 1
Auto Tour: Stop 1
It was at this very spot that the Dominguez Escalante Expedition would pass through on August 21, 1776. They left Sante Fe on July 29, 1776 with the purpose of finding a route to the Franciscan missions in California. They traveled approximately 55 leagues (approximately 2.63 miles = 1 League) or about 145 miles before reaching Colorado. On August 5th they entered into Colorado less then one mile to reach their campsite. From that campsite to this stop it is about 72 leagues or 189 miles. Their team, which began with 10 men, would pass through this canyon as they traveled north to their next camp. The journal describes this canyon “as bad for traveling as the foregoing was”. Today you can walk this pull-out area to see how challenging it would be to cross the rugged and unforgiving terrain with a team of 12 men and 20 horses in the heat of the August afternoon. (Two more men joined them on August 14th.) We call the creek bed you see before you Dry Creek.
Total mileage (TM) – 0
Distance between Stops (DBS) – 0
