Picket Wire Trail – Dinosaur Tracksite & Dolores Mission and Cemetery

Visited on: Monday, September 25, 2023
Withers Canyon Trailhead
National Treasure: Comanche National Grassland

After signing the trail register, I headed down the trail. At first, I was a bit disappointed as the trail seemed rather boring.

A sign that says please sign trail register at Picket Wire Trail.
A dirt road with trees and bushes in the background at Dolores Mission and Cemetery.

Within a few hundred feet, the trail turned and began to descend into the Picket Wire Canyon.

The sight was absolutely beautiful. I could only image how the colors looked earlier in the year. It had to have been spectacular.

A trail leading to a rocky area near Dolores Mission and Cemetery.
A rocky trail
A trail sign at Dolores Mission and Cemetery.
A cactus with yellow flowers in the middle of a field on the way to Dolores Mission and Cemetery.

Once you reach the canyon floor, the trail is mostly flat. While I was certain I was on the right trail, it was nice to see all the signs.

A dirt trail leading to a grassy area with mountains in the background near Dolores Mission and Cemetery.
A grassy field with a sign in the middle advertising the Picket Wire Trail - Dinosaur Tracksite.

A couple of miles in, the ruins of a home from the 1800s greets you. I couldn’t find any information or name, but it was interesting. Pieces of a car and the remains of a stove litter the site.

A dry, rocky hillside with sparse green shrubs and small trees. Old, crumbling wooden remains—possibly from the historic Dolores Mission—are partially hidden by vegetation. The sky is clear and blue, and a person’s shadow appears in the lower left foreground.
Weathered wooden beams and crumbling adobe walls mark the remains of an old structure near the Picket Wire Trail, amid dry grass, sagebrush, and rocks on a sunlit hillside, with scattered shrubs and trees under a clear blue sky.
Ruins of an old building in a grassy area near Dolores Mission and Cemetery.
A wooden fence surrounded by fields and located near Dolores Mission and Cemetery.
Ruins of an old house in the desert near Dolores Mission and Cemetery.
An old abandoned house sits on the side of a hill near Dolores Mission and Cemetery.
A rusty, curved metal object lies partially buried in sandy soil amid sparse, dry shrubs and cacti along the open, grassy expanse of the Picket Wire Trail, with distant hills and scattered trees visible in the sunlit background.
A cactus in the middle of the Picket Wire Trail desert.
A rusty old stove in the middle of a field near Dolores Mission and Cemetery.

The heat of the day continued to rise, and I pressed forward.

A grassy field with patches of yellow wildflowers stretches toward a rocky hill covered in shrubs and sparse trees. The sky above is clear and blue, creating a bright, sunny atmosphere in this natural landscape.
A bright yellow wildflower stands in sharp focus in the foreground, surrounded by green shrubs and more yellow flowers. In the background, a rocky, tree-dotted hill rises under a clear blue sky, creating a scenic, sunny landscape.
A brown trail sign stands in tall dry grass on a flat plain, listing distances to Cemetery, Dinosaur, Tiny-Skate, and Royce’s Ranch. In the background are distant mesas, scattered trees, and a clear blue sky.
A dry, rocky trail winds through grassy terrain toward low, rugged hills topped with shrubs. The sky is clear and blue, and sparse green vegetation dots the landscape, giving a sense of openness and arid conditions.
A narrow, winding river flows through a lush green valley surrounded by rocky hills and sparse vegetation under a clear blue sky. Sunlight brightens the dry, grassy slope in the foreground, with shrubs and large rocks scattered along the path.
Wild sunflowers grow in a grassy field under a clear blue sky. In the background, there is a hill with rocky outcrops and sparse trees and bushes scattered across the landscape, giving a natural, rugged appearance.

Delores Mission and Cemetery

It’s always interesting to visit someplace long neglected from our past. I carefully wandered amongst the tombstones, snapping a few pictures and wishing peace to all those who passed this way or are here forever.

A rustic cemetery with wooden and wire fencing, two headstones, multiple warning signs, scattered grass, and a partially collapsed stone structure, set against dry hills with shrubs and rocky outcrops under a clear blue sky.
A brown informational sign for "Dolores Mission and Cemetery" stands on a metal post, with text describing the historical and architectural significance of the site, located in a grassy, hilly area under a clear blue sky. A "headstones" sign is mounted above it.
A weathered stone tombstone with ornate carvings stands in sunlit grass near a large cactus. A dirt path and wire fence are visible in the background, with rolling hills under a clear sky in the distance.
A partially collapsed stone structure stands in a grassy field. The walls, made of stacked stones, are incomplete, and old wooden beams lean across the ruins. Yellow wildflowers grow among the rubble. Rocky hills and blue sky are visible in the background.
A partially collapsed stone structure stands in a grassy, rural field. The building’s stacked stone walls are crumbling, and the wooden roof beams are broken and decayed. Bright sunlight casts sharp shadows, and wildflowers and trees are visible in the background.
Two old, weathered gravestones stand in a dry, grassy area. Behind them are low stone ruins and wooden beams. The background features rugged hills with sparse bushes and rocky outcrops under a clear blue sky.

Hiking further onward, an excavated apatosaurus shoulder blade has ben left on the hill where it was discovered.

A brown sign with gold trim stands in a rocky, desert landscape along Picket Wire Trail. It reads “Dinosaur Shoulder Blade from an Apatosaurus,” detailing the fossil replica, its discovery site, and local geological history. Shrubs and blue sky are in the background.
A large, partially uncovered fossilized bone lies embedded in a rocky hillside under a clear blue sky along the Picket Wire Trail. Sparse green vegetation and scattered rocks evoke an arid landscape near this famed Dinosaur Tracksite.

The Largest Dinosaur Tracksite in North America

Finally, after tracking almost 6 miles in the hot sun, I reached the largest dinosaur tracksite in North America. This is where scientists confirmed that plant-eating dinosaurs walked together in herds. It was an amazing experience to stand in places where we knew dinosaurs had walked; however, it was kind of sad that the site was not being maintained by the Department of the Interior. Much of the science is already completed, and maintaining this site takes time and money, which apparently is being used somewhere else.

A dirt path, part of the Picket Wire Trail, winds through dry, grassy plains with scattered bushes. Two large rocks sit near the path as a small wooden structure stands in the distance, framed by rolling hills and mesas under a clear blue sky.

Well, part of the site may not be well-maintained. I was happy to see that at least the vault toilets continue to be occasionally taken care of and stocked.

A simple public restroom stall with a white toilet, empty toilet paper holder, and two metal grab bars on cream-colored walls—reminiscent of the sparse facilities along the Picket Wire Trail near the Dinosaur Tracksite.
Interpretive sign titled "The Largest Tracksite in North America" features two illustrated dinosaurs beside footprints. It explains dinosaur tracks found by the Purgatoire River along the Picket Wire Trail, fossil preservation, and includes site photos.
A dusty dirt path bordered by large rocks curves through a dry, open landscape with sparse shrubs along the Picket Wire Trail. Two information signs stand in the distance, with rolling hills and a flat-topped mesa under a clear blue sky.
Two informational signs stand on rocky ground before a grassy, open landscape with hills and scattered trees under a clear blue sky. The left sign is titled “Life at Dinosaur Lake,” while the right highlights “The Site from the Sky” at this Dinosaur Tracksite.
A museum-style outdoor sign titled "Life at Dinosaur Lake" explains the geology and prehistoric life of the Dinosaur Tracksite along the Picket Wire Trail. It features diagrams, fossil photos, and is mounted on rocky ground.
A display sign titled “The Site from the Sky” features an aerial photo of a Dinosaur Tracksite along the Picket Wire Trail. The sign explains how scientists interpret tracks, ancient lakeshores, and plant eaters. Comanche National Grassland logo is at bottom.
Three informational signs at the Dinosaur Tracksite along the Picket Wire Trail display drawings of dinosaurs, area maps, illustrations of tracks, and preservation guidelines. A grassy landscape and hills are visible in the background.
A grassy, open landscape with low hills and scattered shrubs under a clear blue sky. In the foreground, an informational Picket Wire Trail sign stands near large rocks and two small brown signs. The dry terrain features patches of grass, cacti, and hints of the Dinosaur Tracksite nearby.
A narrow dirt trail winds through dry grass and wildflowers in a sunlit, open landscape. A small sign on the left reads “TRAIL,” marking the Picket Wire Trail, which leads past rolling hills toward the famous Dinosaur Tracksite under a clear blue sky.
A rocky trail runs alongside a shallow, stone-filled river under a clear blue sky. Dry grass, shrubs, and scattered bushes line the Picket Wire Trail landscape, with rolling hills and sparse trees in the background. The scene is bright, arid, and natural.
A dry, cracked expanse of pale rock along the Picket Wire Trail features large, rounded depressions of dinosaur footprints. Sparse vegetation and bushes line the background, with rolling hills and a clear blue sky completing the arid landscape.
A dry, cracked riverbed with small puddles is surrounded by sparse grass and shrubs along the Picket Wire Trail. Rocky cliffs rise in the background beneath a clear blue sky, hinting at the nearby Dinosaur Tracksite in this arid, sunlit landscape.
A rocky riverbank with squared stone patterns, scattered green plants, and a driftwood branch in the foreground. The muddy river flows past rocks along the Picket Wire Trail, flanked by green bushes and distant hills under a clear blue sky.
A dry, cracked rocky surface with patches of sparse grass and weeds growing through the crevices marks this area along the Picket Wire Trail, near the famous Dinosaur Tracksite. In the background, more dirt and scattered sticks are visible under bright sunlight.
A dry, cracked, light brown earth surface with several large, fossilized dinosaur footprints at the Picket Wire Trail Dinosaur Tracksite leads into a grassy field with scattered green shrubs and distant hills under a clear blue sky.

I spent some time just wandering around the site, enjoying the thought of what it must’ve been like millions of years ago as the dinosaurs roamed the Earth. After a brief bit of time sitting, hydrating, and having a snack, I began the long 6-mile trek back to the trailhead and my teardrop trailer.

The heat of the day was becoming completely oppressive, and I was so happy to find a large boulder that had an indentation where I could crawl in, take a break, and cool off for a while.

A large, weathered boulder sits in a grassy area under a clear blue sky along the Picket Wire Trail. The rock's layered, rugged textures and brown tones stand among shrubs and dry grass, with sunlit hills and distant mountains in the background.
A middle-aged man with curly hair and a scruffy beard smiles at the camera. He wears a gray T-shirt with a gold and black logo. Behind him is a large, rocky overhang—possibly near the Picket Wire Trail Dinosaur Tracksite—and some greenery on the left.

Back at camp, with no one anywhere nearby, I took a shower in the wide open space and enjoyed washing the sweat away.

A bottle sits on a rock in the middle of a field at Picket Wire Trail - Dinosaur Tracksite.

The day ended on a high note as I finished a bottle of wonderful Bordeaux, the only bottle that I’d kept from my collection when I began this adventure.

A green bottle of Château Guichot Bordeaux wine sits outdoors on a black surface, its label featuring a château sketch and gold medallions. Sunlit trees evoke the natural beauty found along the Picket Wire Trail near the Dinosaur Tracksite.

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From: Colorado
Filed Under: Featured Entry, National Treasures, Nature Junkie, U.S. National Grasslands
Journal Entry Tags:
CemeteriesDinosaursHikingHistoric BuildingsMissionsRuinsTombstones
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