Tucked into Colorado’s southeastern corner are unique environments first-time visitors might not expect to see on the Eastern Plains landscape. Baca County’s wild wonders include two canyons carved into the prairies of Comanche National Grassland, delighting hikers and historians alike, as well as a historic reservoir now acting as a refuge for avian species and the birders who seek them. We visited these three areas to explore the natural diversity each contains.

 

Carrizo Canyon

A two-mile hiking trail along Carrizo Creek, 27 miles west of Campo, accesses one of the few permanent water sources of Comanche National Grassland. The east fork of Carrizo (meaning “reed” in Spanish) Creek flows through a small canyon lined by juniper and cottonwood trees. A picnic area on the canyon rim provides a sheltered trailhead perfect for planning area exploration.

American Indian petroglyphs, including many “zoomorphs” depicting animals, are found pecked into the rock along the canyon’s interior Dakota sandstone walls. Early inhabitants drew inspiration from the canyon’s plentiful inventory of wildlife, which is best seen in the early morning hours after sunrise or the few hours preceding sunset. Found here are birds rarely spotted in other regions of Colorado, such as black-chinned hummingbirds, ladder-backed woodpeckers, Eastern phoebes, Cassin’s kingbirds and Mississippi kites.

Bullsnakes and collared and horned lizards sun themselves on the rock walls adjacent to the trail, while snapping and softshell turtles, bullfrogs and channel catfish live beneath the creek’s waters. The water levels can rise 6 feet or more during large rainstorms causing flash floods. Aquatic life disperses downstream as the channel floods and connects small ponds and normally barren areas along its course, spreading biological diversity to this otherwise hot and dry ecosystem.

 

Picture Canyon

A canyon about 17 miles southwest of Campo proves people thrived in an inhospitable setting for thousands of years. Paleo-Indians from 12,000 years ago through post-archaic cultures 400 years ago inhabited Picture Canyon and left an indelible mark on their homeland. Stone tools and projectile points found here indicate Paleo-Indian hunters once roamed the area, while rock art chiseled and painted by Plains Indian tribes in more recent centuries gives the canyon its name.

More than 13 miles of trails lead to the Indian art, which includes depictions of a horse with elegant flowing lines and what appears to be a soldier with X-shaped belts crossing his chest. Other attractions are rubble remnants of homesteads built by Anglo settlers, a natural arch and strange stone hoodoo formations.

Routes can be difficult to follow as trails fade into canyon underbrush and the juniper-dotted sandstone rim, while signage is sparce. Research and good maps are recommended to find each landmark. The National Forest Service also gives guided tours of a gated Crack Cave during the spring and fall equinox to visit a site where inhabitants marked the sun’s position on those dates.

Visitors should take care to preserve the canyon’s ancient cultural resources. Archaeologists use fragile relics from tipi rings to pottery sherds as clues to reconstruct the region’s ancient life. If destroyed or removed, the information artifacts might reveal is lost forever.

Picture Canyon shares Carrizo Canyon’s wildlife diversity. Birds like Bullock’s orioles, scaled quails, blue grosbeaks and several species of towhees, wrens and sparrows live here, while large mammals like pronghorn and black bear are even occasionally seen.

 

Two Buttes Reservoir State Wildlife Area

County residents completed an earthen dam about 17 miles north of Springfield on Two Buttes Creek in 1910 with horses, mules and hard labor. Designed to irrigate nearby farmlands, the project didn’t live up to expectations, as it provided water for only 3,000 acres. Colorado Parks and Wildlife bought the property in 1970 and stocked the lake with channel catfish, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, crappie and other fish.

While fishing and boating draw visitors, the area’s primary attraction is a wealth of both resident and migratory bird species. As the reservoir’s water level varies seasonally, high waters attract ducks and grebes, while shorebirds abound during low-water periods. Below the dam is a veritable wonderland of habitats, including extensive tangles of underbrush, tall cottonwoods, marshy ponds and grassy areas. The rimrock habitat is among the best places in the state to find roadrunners.

A pond near the reservoir known as the Black Hole is a popular swimming spot, though it isn’t recommended to dive from the surrounding cliffs or swim alone or without a life jacket, as injuries and deaths have occurred here. The pool is, however, a photogenic oasis lined with tall cattails, lush cottonwoods and pink sandstone seen from its sandy shore.

While nearly all of the reservoir is located within Baca County, the namesake buttes are located just north of the line in neighboring Prowers County. Rising more than 300 feet over the plains, the buttes provide an impressive backdrop over the reservoir and are occupied by raptors such as owls, vultures and hawks.

First-time visits usually aren’t enough to explore the bountiful, off-the-beaten-path charms Colorado’s southeast corner possesses. In addition to the more conspicuous attractions, the prairie canyonlands conceal wonders not easily discovered, rewarding multiple visits. Because there is so much to enjoy, nature-loving travelers can’t wait for a chance to go back to Baca County.