Dunton Road (FR 535)

Aliases: Calico Trail

The whole Dunton Road can provide great birding in wet meadow and willow habitats, with birds including Evening Grosbeak, Wilson’s Warbler, Western Bluebird, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Red-naped Sapsucker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Cassin’s Finch. The Calico Trail, off the eastern part of the Dunton road before it hits CO 145, probably represents the best easily-accessible roadside spruce-fir habitat in Dolores County. Here you can find Three-toed Woodpecker and, if you are lucky, Northern Goshawk. The scenery in this whole area is amazing, with El Diente and the Wilson peaks looming high over everything. Butterfly viewing can be excellent, with Purplish Fritillaries and Green Commas swarming wildflowers in the mountain meadows.

County: Dolores

Habitat: Spruce-Fir Forest, Streamside Willow, Wet Meadow, Mountain Meadow

Directions: FR 535, also known as Dunton Road, loops to join CO 145 in two places. The west end heads northeast from CO 145 just west of Stoner; the east end rejoins CO 145 about six miles north of Rico. To get to the Calico Trailhead (on the east end of FR 535), turn south from FR 535 onto Eagle Creek Road (FR 471) and drive the road to its end in about a mile.

Delorme: 75 D6-B7, 76 B1
Roads of Colorado: 130 A1-A2, B2

Dates of Access: Summer
Hours: Any
Ownership: US Forest Service
Admission: Free

Restrictions: Roads not maintained in winter

Parking: Roadside; gravel parking lot at Calico Trailhead
Lodging: Primitive camping

Handicapped: No
Handicapped Access: Viewing from car

Latitude: 37.7768365
Longitude: -108.0925323