This mother’s day Erik, Cora and I had the chance to get away and explore a familiar wilderness area.  We headed to Dominguez Canyon.  We had been there last year for a backpacking trip but this time we decided to car camp at the trailhead and do day hikes.

Actually, we did not decide this, but our friends did for us.  We really wanted to hike the whole 12 mile trail but we could not find anyone willing to come along with us to carry Cora the length of the trail.  With my sciatica and seventh month of pregnancy I did not feel like I could carry the extra load. So off we went for a car camping experience.

Dominguez Canyon in Western Colorado offers wonderful hiking and remote car camping spots.
The best time to head to this recreation site is either the spring or fall.  Mid-summer can be very buggy and unbearably hot.  That is why we wanted to go visit this spot again before June. When we were there last year we encountered many, many bugs and a lot of heat.  That is the great thing about this destination - it is a desert hike with water along the way.  You don’t need to carry water and you have refreshing pools to jump into when you get too hot.

On this trip we explored the top five miles of the trail each day we were camped. We had to bushwhack through thick bushes to get to the river since the beginning of the trail is elevated above the creek, but the trail is very broad and passable as the cacti and trees are not dense.  It was a wonderful way to spend my 30^th week of pregnancy.  Soon after the first five miles the terrain opens up and you are following the river fairly closely.  On the last day we ran into a friend who was hiking through. I was slightly jealous because I know we could have made it.

The upper campground has a pit toilet, a lot of shade, is free, and can only be accessed by an all wheel drive vehicle with good clearance.  The Gunnison River camping area at the bottom of the trail is large and can be crowded with rafters, but has a swimming hole and waterfall. The site can be reached by parking in the designated parking along the Gunnison and walking 30 minutes.

I highly recommend getting a good map or guidebook for when you drive up there.  Both times we got lost trying to find the trailhead.  It gets frustrating to drive in the dark. The hiking is straight forward and you don’t need a map.

Also, make sure to pack adequate amounts of food. We forgot one meal and were very frustrated with the idea of having to drive one hour to town and back (total 2hrs) just to get an evening meal.  Thankfully, a horse riding couple offered us some canned stew and we were able to stay without driving.

How to get there:

Upper Dominguez:  Drive South on US 50 from Grand Junction. Turn right (south) on US-50/ CO-141 in White Water.  Take a left hand turn approx. 6 miles from WW onto a dirt road.  Drive about 10 miles to a left hand turn indicated by a BLM sign.

Cactus Park (Halfway point):  Same directions to White Water then look for a left hand turn labeled Cactus Park about 5 miles.  You need a Jeep.

Gunnison River campsite:  Continue on US 50 Past White Water; turn right on Bridge Port Road and Park.  Walk about 2 miles.

 BLM website  www.blm.gov/co

Heidi Ahrens

A version of this article was first published on Playoutdoors.com

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