Near Dolores in Montezuma County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
A Path Well Traveled
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2025
1. A Path Well Travled Marker
The yucca-fiber sandals of Ancestral Puebloans, the leather sandals of Franciscan priests, work boots of ranchers and lumbermen, the rubber tires of wheelchairs, and the nylon and leather shoes of visitors today have traversed the landscape of southwest Colorado.
This trail will introduce you to the places and people that make this place unique. For almost 2,000 years, from the earliest hunters and gatherers to recent urban escapees, families and loners have come to take advantage of the diverse resources: water, farmland, timber, ranch land, mineral riches, and recreation opportunities. As you walk, look around, learn about the land and what it has to offer, and listen to the stories of the people who call this place home.
During their migrations in prehistory, the ancestors of the Pueblo people covered a vast territory in the Southwest. Anthropologists trace the various tribal groups through their ceramics, remnants of an economy long dead. The Pueblo people themselves, however, rely on the songs of the various societies in tracing the places where their ancestors may have been...
Joe S. Sando, Jemez Pueblo
Pueblo Nations:
this page online
Clear Light Publishers, Santa Fe, NM
[illustration captions]
Ancestral Puebloan Sandals
Late 17th Century Franciscan Sandals
Late 19th Century Ute Moccasins
Turn of the Century Cowboy Boots and Spurs, McChesney Spurs Circa 1910
Childrens Nylon Sneakers
Modern Day Sandals
Wheelchair
Erected by The Colorado Historical Society, the Bureau of Land Management, the Family of Nellie Mulnix Joy and the Frankston Family.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
Location. 37° 28.582′ N, 108° 32.808′ W. Marker is near Dolores, Colorado, in Montezuma County. It can be reached from State Highway 184 at milepost 7, on the right when traveling west. The marker is on the Escalante Pueblo Trail at the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 27501 Colorado Highway 184, Dolores CO 81323, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Mountain
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2025
2. A Path Well Traveled Marker
The marker is located in front of the shelter at the beginning of the Escalante Pueblo trail.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Yucca (within shouting distance of this marker); Dominguez Pueblo (within shouting distance of this marker); Indian Ricegrass (within shouting distance of this marker); Skunkbush Sumac (within shouting distance of this marker); Gambel Oak (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mesa Verde National Park & Ute Mountain Tribal Park (about 500 feet away); Spanish Explorers (about 600 feet away); The People (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dolores.
Also see . . . Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: Ancestral Puebloan people resided in permanent communities called pueblos and grew their own crops, in addition to hunting and gathering. The Ancient Pueblo people may have lived in the Four Corners area as early as 1500 BC. As many as 20,000 - 30,000 people lived and farmed in the Montezuma County, Colorado area.(Submitted on December 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
The area was affected by periods of drought, including one in the late 13th century. That and other factors resulted in the permanent move by 1300 AD of area pueblo people south to present-day New Mexico and Arizona.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 19, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 49 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 20, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
