Dove Creek brings together archaeological themes, a distinctive landscape, and regional agriculture. The surrounding area is an important archaeological center. The Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum presents the way of life of the ancestors of the Pueblo peoples through authentic artifacts, a replica pit house, interactive learning stations, and two films. The museum is a short drive from Dove Creek.
Pueblo History and Trails
From the Visitor Center, Escalante Pueblo can be reached via a paved, half-mile-long trail. Panoramic views and interpretive signs accompany the route. Unlike the exhibit, this access leads outdoors to a named Pueblo site; the museum’s interpretation and a trail with landscape views thus offer two distinct cultural perspectives.
Brewer Mesa Pueblo is an example of an 11th-century mesa-top village; Brewer Canyon Pueblo represents a large village at the end of a canyon from the 13th century. Together, they show different periods and settlement forms within Pueblo history. The prehistoric villages in Hovenweep National Monument are also a short drive from Dove Creek. Western writer Zane Grey is also associated with the wider region; he lived there.
River Landscape and Trails
Mountain Sheep Point Recreation Site, also called Dove Creek Pumps, is about six miles east of Dove Creek via gravel and unpaved county roads. This differs from the paved, half-mile-long trail to Escalante Pueblo. When releases on the Lower Dolores River are navigable, the site serves as river access. Red rock cliffs define the area, and bighorn sheep are often spotted there.
There are also hiking trails in the nearby Dolores River Valley. The trails there offer the opportunity to explore the valley landscape on foot.
Pinto Beans and Local Products
Dove Creek is known for the abundant pinto bean harvests of local farms. The ancestors of the Pueblo peoples grew corn, squash, and beans in the area. Beans therefore appear in two distinct contexts: as one of the crops in the ancestors’ agricultural history and as a present-day regional connection to pinto beans. The three crops grown in the past also add an agricultural dimension to the archaeological theme; the area’s current reputation, by contrast, specifically highlights pinto beans.
Adobe Milling offers cookbooks, high-quality legumes such as Anasazi, Bolita, pinto, and black turtle beans, as well as hot sauces, spices, and coffee for purchase online. Adobe Milling’s One Stop Bean Shop is open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Since hours may change, check them before your visit.
Discover more destinations: Rico.
Return to the main travel overview: Dolores County.
