COME EXPLORE WITH US

NATIONAL CONSERVATIONLANDS

THESE VAST LANDS HOLD

TREASURES UNTOLD

From fishing the Gold Medal trout waters of Colorado’s Gunnison River to world-class whitewater rafting on California’s American River to tracing the steps of Lewis and Clark on the Missouri River to the world’s largest caribou migration in Alaska’s majestic Western Arctic, the best way to truly appreciate the immense magnitude and beauty of the National Conservation Lands is to experience them firsthand.

We hope you will join us on an upcoming excursion as we explore the National Conservation Lands together. We’ve outlined several trip options in the following pages with a trip description, timing, duration and difficulty rating: Family Friendly («), Moderate (««), and More Challenging («««). Regardless of our destination, each excursion is sure to be an adventure!

Please contact us if you have any questions or if there is a landscape you would like to visit that isn’t listed here - we would love to be your guide.

For more information, contact Danielle Sandstedt, Vice President for Development at 970-247-0807 x104 or Dsandstedt@ConservationLands.org. We look forward to exploring with you!

Front Cover: Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument,

Utah. Photo: Tanya Milligan. Unless otherwise noted, photos

are courtesy of BLM.

WESTERN ARCTIC, ALASKA

Experience the extraordinary scenery, abundant wildlife and solitude of Alaska’s Western Arctic. The most remote and least traveled part of Alaska, this pristine region is home to the 400,000-member Western Arctic caribou herd along with grizzly bears, wolves, arctic fox and wolverine. Millions of birds migrate through the tundra, blooming with rare plants and wildflowers. We’ll travel by water and land to explore this incredible landscape that is like no other in the world.

SAN JUAN ISLANDS, WASHINGTON

Come explore this spectacular archipelago of over 450 islands, rocks and pinnacles teeming with marine wildlife, including breeching orca and humpback whales, sea lions and playful seals. Established in 2013, the San Juan Islands National Monument is a hotspot for ocean science and recreation in the stunning Pacific Northwest. We’ll explore rocky shores by sea kayak and visit historic light stations, including the famed Patos Island Lighthouse.

TRIP Rafting, Kayaking, Hiking

TIMING August

DURATION 8-10 days

DIFFICULTY «««

Scott Price

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TRIP Sea Kayaking

TIMING June - Sept.

DURATION 2-4 days

DIFFICULTY ««

CASCADE SISKIYOU, OREGON

At the intersection of the Cascade, Klamath and Siskiyou Mountain ranges, this remote region has incredible opportunities for exploration. We'll hike through elevation changes to see unique geological formations and incredible biodiversity. Our journey will be a walk through time as we visit prehistoric heritage sites and remnants of more recent pioneer history along the Applegate and Oregon-California Trails.

JOHN DAY RIVER, OREGON

One of the longest undammed rivers in the nation, the Wild and Scenic John Day is one of the great float trips of the West. Our float will pass through remote canyon country marked by stunning scenic vistas, pristine campsites and some incredible fishings spots. We'll explore old homesteads, Native American rock art and search for fossils. Very few rapids make this a comfortable and relaxing river trip.

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TRIP Hiking

TIMING June - Aug.

DURATION 3-5 days

DIFFICULTY ««

TRIP Rafting, Hiking

TIMING May - Sept.

DURATION 3-4 days

DIFFICULTY «

TUOLUMNE RIVER, CALIFORNIA

California’s premier whitewater river is a slalom course with escalating intensity up to Class IV rapids. Our guides will navigate us down the clear and cool river as it thunders and plunges through a grand succession of boulder gardens, staircase rapids, chutes and pools. We’ll earn our rafting stripes cascading through deep canyons on this fantastic river expedition and regroup at the end of the day to enjoy good food, good friends and great stories around the campfire.

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TRIP Rafting, Hiking

TIMING July - Aug.

DURATION 3-4 days

DIFFICULTY «««

AMERICAN RIVER, CALIFORNIA

The famous American Wild and Scenic River has the full spectrum of runs, from incredibly challenging to family friendly. We’ll experience an adventure rich in history and blessed with breathtaking beauty, cascading through one of the deepest and most remote canyons in the mid-Sierra. The Tunnel Chute rapid is a highlight, where the river thunders through a narrow chute before calming and flowing through a cavernous 90-foot tunnel blasted by 19th century miners.

TRIP Rafting

TIMING June - Aug.

DURATION 1-2 days

DIFFICULTY «— «««

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KING RANGE (LOST COAST), CALIFORNIA

A magnificent meeting of land and sea covering 68,000 acres and extending along 35 miles of coastline, the King Range is one of California’s most remote and rugged regions. Known as the Lost Coast for its limited road access, the recreation opportunities here are as diverse as the landscape, attracting hikers, hunters, campers and mushroom collectors, while the coast beckons to surfers, anglers, beachcombers and abalone divers.

TRIP Hiking

TIMING April - May, Aug. - Oct.

DURATION 1-2 days

DIFFICULTY «

RED ROCK CANYON, NEVADA

A hugely popular destination for photography and sightseeing just outside of Las Vegas, we'll explore the 30+ miles of hiking trails, rock climbing, biking, picnic areas, nature viewing and camping that Red Rock Canyon is famous for. Petroglyphs and pictographs mark canyon walls, telling the history of Native Americans who settled in the canyon starting in 3500 BC. Red Rock’s unique geologic features, plants and animals are some of the Mojave Desert’s finest.

TRIP Hiking, Mountain Biking, Climbing

TIMING March - May, Sept. - Nov.

DURATION 1 day

DIFFICULTY «— «««

Hiking along California’s Lost Coast, in the King Range National Conservation Area

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GOLD BUTTE, NEVADA

These 360,000 acres are home to a rich abundance of natural history and cultural landmarks. Adventure into this incredibly scenic backcountry and you will see petroglyphs, sink holes, glimpses of the mining industry’s boom and bust and countless pioneer and Native American heritage sites. Rugged mountains, yucca forests, outcroppings of sandstone and braided washes that turn into slot canyons intrigue the imagination and call to visitors.

TRIP Hiking

TIMING March - May, Sept. - Nov.

DURATION 1-2 days

DIFFICULTY «— ««

SONORAN DESERT, ARIZONA

TRIP Hiking

TIMING Oct. - April

DURATION 1 day

DIFFICULTY «— ««

The 487,000-acre Sonoran Desert National Monument is the most biologically diverse of the North American deserts. We'll explore the region's unique saguaro cactus forests, archaeological and cultural sites and trek along historic trails on foot and horseback. Wide valleys separate the Maricopa, Sand Tank and Table Top Mountain ranges, providing magnificent vistas and unmatched opportunities for solitude and rejuvenation.

CEDAR MESA, UTAH

Cedar Mesa draws people from around the world to experience the highest density of Ancestral Puebloan cliff ruins and rock art in the Nation. This is one of the most incredible natural settings in the West with miles of spectacular canyons lined with cliffs cut across the mesa. Some ruins are perched high on ledges and under overhangs. When you experience the dramatic scenery, unique wildlife and irreplaceable cultural sites, you will understand why it deserves permanent protection.

CEDAR MESA/SAN JUAN RIVER, UTAH

Experience Cedar Mesa by floating down the San Juan River. Flowing through a series of wild canyons carved from ancient sandstone millions of years ago, we’ll meander through horseshoe bends and take in the region’s unique archaeology, geology and wildlife. From rock art panels and petroglyphs to desert bighorn sheep, ringtail cats, bobcats, coyotes and several bird species, this is one amazing river adventure.

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TRIP Hiking

TIMING April - May, Sept - Oct.

DURATION 1-2 days

DIFFICULTY «— ««

TRIP Rafting

TIMING May - June, Sept. - Oct.

DURATION 2-4 days

DIFFICULTY «

Ancient sand dunes, frozen in time, swirl across the landscape in Utah’s Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE, UTAH

Spanning nearly 1.9 million acres, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is the largest land unit in the National Conservation Lands. We will explore this geologic wonderland of multicolored cliffs, plateaus, pinnacles and canyons created over eons of time. In addition to its rich human history, the Monument is one of the last largely unexplored boneyards from the Age of Dinosaurs, with fossils and remnants of plants and animals over 65 million years old.

RIO GRANDE DEL NORTE, NEW MEXICO

Our adventure will take us through the wide open landscape of this high-desert treasure. Dotted by volcanic cones with the Red River and Rio Grande tucked into their depths, this unique setting provides a wealth of recreational opportunities, including whitewater rafting, hunting, fishing, hiking and mountain biking. Herds of elk roam through the Monument, petroglyphs mark smooth river rocks and dramatic sunsets set the landscape ablaze in the evening.

Tyler Streit

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TRIP Hiking, Climbing, Horseback Riding

TIMING April - May, Sept. - Oct.

DURATION 3-5 days

DIFFICULTY ««— «««

TRIP Hiking, Fishing, Canoeing

TIMING May - June, Sept. - Oct.

DURATION 2-3 days

DIFFICULTY ««

RUBY HORSETHIEF CANYON, COLORADO

You’ll love this beautiful class I-II section of the Colorado River, an ideal trip for groups and families of all ages. Carving through a mix of rocks, from stunning red sandstone to black gneiss from the Precambrian era, the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area is home to a unique thread of life and provides habitat for rare and endangered wildlife species. We'll keep our eyes peeled for a glimpse of rare river otters and the reintroduced desert bighorn sheep on this relaxing river run.

CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS, COLORADO

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in southwestern Colorado contains the largest concentration of archaeological sites in the U.S., more than 6,000 recorded so far, and up to 100 per square mile in some places. Representing Ancestral Puebloan and other Native American cultures and just an hour from the Conservation Lands Foundation's home base in Durango, this is an easy destination to explore almost any time of year.

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TRIP Rafting, Hiking

TIMING May - Sept.

DURATION 3-4 days

DIFFICULTY «

TRIP Hiking

TIMING March - Nov.

DURATION 1 day

DIFFICULTY «

GUNNISON GORGE CANYON, COLORADO

This 14-mile wilderness journey combines spectacular canyon scenery with one of Colorado’s finest Gold Medal fisheries. We’ll float through Proterozoic schist and gneiss formations, hitting mild rapids and crystal clear pools that lead into narrow, steeper sections of exciting pool-drop rapids. Combining both peaceful refuge and exciting adventure this trip is perfect for any outdoor enthusiast, river runner or angler - especially during the renowned Stonefly hatch in June.

UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS, MONTANA

The Wild and Scenic Missouri River flows through this 370,000-acre National Monument. White sandstone canyons meet the river and rise up to a limitless prairie full of life, including grazing bighorn sheep and elk, roaming antelope and abundant sage grouse performing their beautifully bizzare mating dance. Largely the same since Lewis and Clark first chartered these waters in 1805, these lands are described in their journals as "seens of visionary inchantment."

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TRIP Rafting, Fishing, Hiking

TIMING June

DURATION 2-3 day

DIFFICULTY ««

TRIP Canoeing, Hiking

TIMING May - Sept.

DURATION 5 day

DIFFICULTY «— ««

THESE LANDS ARE YOUR

LANDS

JOINING US

Are you ready to join us on an upcoming adventure? Your first step is to contact Danielle Sandstedt at 970-247-0807 x104 or dsandstedt@ConservationLands.org to let us know where you want to go and learn about trips we’re already planning. We partner with the top outfitters in each of these regions and trips are priced to ensure that we have the best experience possible.

Keep in mind that some trips require a minimum number of people to sign up, so be thinking about family members and friends who may want to come along with us. Let the adventures begin!

Our nation’s newest collection of protected public lands, the National Conservation Lands comprise 28 million acres of the most ecologically rich and culturally significant lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). By making more people aware of these special places—as stunning as any National Park and as ecologically important as any National Wildlife Refuge—we can ensure their long-term protection.

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N ez Perce

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Old Spanish Trail

Pony Express

California Trail

Lewis and Clark

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Continental Divide T r a i l

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CARSON CITY

SAN FRANCISCO

SALT LAKE CITY

FAIRBANKS

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EXPLORE THE NATIONAL CONSERVATION LANDS

1. Western Arctic, AK2. San Juan Islands, WA3. Cascade Siskiyou, OR4. John Day River, OR5. Tuolumne River, CA6. American River, CA7. King Range, CA

8. Red Rock Canyon, NV9. Gold Butte, NV10. Sonoran Desert, AZ11. Cedar Mesa, UT12. San Juan River, UT13. Grand Staircase- Escalante, UT

14. Rio Grande del Norte, NM15. Ruby Horsetheif, CO16. Canyons of the Ancients, CO17. Gunnison Gorge, CO18. Upper Missouri River Breaks, MT

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The rolling tundra and braided rivers of Alaska’s Western Arctic. Photo courtesy of Florian Schulz,

On Arctic Ground.

835 East 2nd Ave., Suite 314Durango, CO 81301 970-247-0807 info@ConservationLands.org www.ConservationLands.org Facebook.com/ConservationLands @ ConservationLF