COME TO LIFE | Delta, Cedaredge, Crawford, Paonia, Hotchkiss, Orchard City Mountain bikers find uncrowded paradise on the challenging Sidewinder mountain-bike trail, the County Line trail system , Escalante Rim Loop and the North Rim Entrance to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park . There’s also 4 miles of singletrack and a skills and pump track in Delta’s Confluence Park . To literally go above and beyond, Ultimate Skydiving Adventures in Delta can get you a bird’s-eye of those trails and canyons. Antique shops in Delta and the old-school Tru Vu Drive In Theater should scratch an itch for nostalgic pursuits. Other must-see spots to visit include the charming Cirque Boutique , Creamery Arts Center , Azura Cellars and Gallery , Paonia United Brewing Co. , The Storm Cellar and Delicious Orchards & Big B’s Cidery . For a truly unique adventure, visit Western Culture Farmstead & Creamery to sample small-batch goat cheese, tour the farm and meet the goats themselves. Stop into the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce for maps and advice about all the area has to offer. COLORADO MOUNTAINS & MESAS WEST ELK WINE TRAIL INSPIRED TO LINGER Adventure and restful solitude rule days and nights in the Delta County towns of Delta , Cedaredge , Crawford , Paonia , Hotchkiss and Orchard City where lush farms, artful nooks and ancient canyons await discovery. Sublime and active pursuits merge in Delta County, where an organic-food-and-wine region meets easy access to spectacular canyon lands for hiking and biking, including Escalante Canyon and Big and Little Dominguez canyons . Start with the West Elks Wine Trail , which meanders past eight wineries. As you go, savor treats from restaurants that highlight local produce and meats, including Root & Vine Market in Paonia and 133 BRGR in Hotchkiss . Paonia, Hotchkiss and Crawford form a Certified Colorado Creative District , where artists, musicians, writers and other creative folk mix with the mesas, and Delta ’s historic Main Street is lined with colorful, large-scale murals. For history, Fort Uncompahgre brings an 1820s fur-trading post to life and the Delta County Museum ’s big draw is a collection of dinosaur discoveries from the nearby Dry Mesa quarry site. Visitors can follow signs to the Eagle Rock Shelter Access from Hwy. 92, where the earliest humans known to inhabit North America found shelter on a ledge above the Gunnison River. For active diversions, Sweitzer Lake State Park near Delta is ideal for boating and birdwatching, as are Paonia and Crawford state parks . Western Slope SUP can get you set up paddleboarding on the area’s calm waters. Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area is popular with hikers, backpackers and trout fishers on the Gunnison River ’s Gold Medal waters. TREAT YOURSELF TO A NIGHT OF STARGAZING AT THE NORTH RIM OF BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK, AN INTERNATIONAL DARK-SKY PARK 11 MILES FROM CRAWFORD. 172 1-800-COLORADO WEST ELKS WINERY. BOOK A GUIDED FLY-FISHING TOUR TO CAST IN GOLD MEDAL WATERS AND DISCOVER THE REGION’S LITTLE-KNOWN HOT SPOTS WITH THE EXPERTISE OF A LOCAL ANGLER. Stay & Play Options Cedaredge , Crawford , Delta (page 181), Hotchkiss (page 184), Orchard City , Paonia (page 186)
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2022: Page 172
