Delta: Nature, Water and Local History

If you’re looking for a hotel in Delta, one question can help you decide where to start: Should your trip focus mainly on protected areas and scenery, water activities, cycling routes, or local history? The places and topics described here offer different highlights and give you specific points to consider when planning your stay.

Protected Areas and Scenery

The Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area encompasses 210,172 acres of protected public land. Within it lies the 66,280-acre Dominguez Canyon Wilderness. Possible activities in the area include hiking, boating, camping, and wildlife viewing. Conditions and closures may change.

The southern part of the conservation area is accessible from Delta via Highway 348 and 25 Mesa Road, also known as D Road. Road conditions may change; check them before you travel. Another way to take in the scenery is the 15-mile County Road through Escalante Canyon. It provides vehicle access and the opportunity to see historic cabins, trails, rock walls bearing inscriptions by early settlers and Indigenous groups, and geological formations.

Water, Hiking and Cycling

Crawford State Park offers camping, fishing, water sports, and hunting in a scenic mountain setting. The 400-acre reservoir is suitable for jet skiing, motorboating, water skiing, fishing, swimming, and scuba diving. Diving is allowed in any safe area of the park. Check water access and seasonal activities before your visit.

The 1.2-mile North Fork Miners Trail connects North Fork High School, Nature Connection, the Recreation Center, and Crossroads Park with the Delta County Fairgrounds and downtown Hotchkiss. Construction or access conditions may change. For cycling, the 22-mile Sidewinder Trail runs along the western edge of the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area in Delta County. The county also has 24 designated road cycling routes of varying lengths through diverse scenery. This makes it easy to distinguish a single, specifically described trail from the selection of road routes by route type and distance.

History and Public Art

Fort Uncompahgre is a reconstruction of a fur trading post founded by Antoine Robidoux in 1828 near present-day Delta. Traders, trappers, and Indigenous groups used the trading post. More than 20 unique murals adorn exterior walls in downtown Delta. The city offers a free Mural Virtual Tour app to help visitors find the public murals; availability on platforms may change.

The Hotchkiss-Crawford Historical Society Museum permanently displays historical artifacts, an extensive collection of historic photographs, and a diorama of a living room. The reference library contains photo albums, yearbooks, transcripts, oral history recordings, and obituary files. Staff can assist with genealogical research. In Cedaredge, the updated Historic Walking Tour features buildings designated as historic by the city. Visitors can explore Cedaredge using their smartphones to scan QR code signs on the buildings.

Visits and Seasonal Highlights

At the Hotchkiss National Fish Hatchery, visitors can see the fish production process up close from the Visitor Center and the rearing ponds. A short, accessible, self-guided tour offers another way to explore the site. Educational programs and public tours are held during business hours by prior arrangement.

The Annual Western Sky Balloon Festival takes place every year in early July at Confluence Park in Delta. The program includes hot air balloon launches, evening balloon glows, a drone light show, live music, a Main Street parade, a talent show, and an arts and crafts market. Program details may change; check the dates when planning your trip. The grape harvest in Delta County usually runs from mid-August to mid-October, peaking in September. At some wineries, visitors can observe the processing; participation varies. Another kind of outing is the annual farm tour with lunch offered by Ela Family Farms in Hotchkiss. Dates and booking details may change and should be checked in advance.

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