Dolores in Montezuma County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Father Escalante

Camped Here Aug. 13, 1776

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2025

1. Father Escalante Marker

Inscription. [title is inscription]

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Hispanic Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Dominguez y Escalante Expedition series list. A significant historical date for this entry is August 13, 1776.

Location. 37° 28.408′ N, 108° 30.261′ W. Marker is in Dolores, Colorado, in Montezuma County. It is on 4th Street just south of Central Avenue, on the left when traveling south. The marker is beside the sidewalk on the west side of Flanders Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 420 Central Avenue, Dolores CO 81323, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Mountain West,

in Colorado Plateau,

and at the Four Corners.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Exon Mercantile (within

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

shouting distance of this marker); Galloping Geese of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad (within shouting distance of this marker); The Anasazi (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Respite Along the Dolores (about 300 feet away); Galloping Goose #5 (about 300 feet away); The Southern Hotel (about 400 feet away); Big Bend and McPhee (approx. ¾ mile away); The Landscape (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dolores.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Also see . . . Dominguez-Escalante Expedition (DesertUSA.com).

Excerpt: On July 29, 1776, this expedition left Santa Fe to great fanfare and fervent prayers by Escalante. The 14 men knew little of the country they were entering. Traveling northwest, they made their way into what is now western Colorado. On August 13 the party reached and named the winding Dolores River, where they camped and explored the nearby area. Above their camp, Fathers Escalante and Dominguez found the ancient ruins of a small Indian village, which Escalante noted in his journal — the first written record
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2025

2. Father Escalante Marker
Looking east through Flanders Park from 4th Street. The Dolores Railroad Museum is in the distant background - on the east side of the park.
of a prehistoric Anasazi site in Colorado. This site is now called Escalante Ruin, and a second site discovered nearby in modern times is called Dominguez Ruin.

(Submitted on September 7, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 5, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 113 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 7, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.