Outdoors

When, in 1873, a homesteader named Brewster M. Higley VI wrote a poem named “My Western Home,” and his friend Daniel Kelley, a Civil War veteran, wrote the music for the poem that became “Home on the Range,” there is every likelihood that they were writing of the deer and antelope found in the canyons and plains.

Deer, antelope, bear, badgers, bobcats, big horn sheep, mountain lions, muskrats, elk... wildlife is abundant in the canyons and plains. Taking the time to stop and watch reminds us of what’s important. It can even feel like you’re home. On the range.

Even if a single book had never been written about the Comanche National Grassland, its history would still be known, for the land, itself, tells its own tale. Under the management of the US Forest Service, these 435,000 acres are divided into two separate, independent sites—one by La Junta and the other south of Springfield—both of which offer an array of experiences for people of all ages and levels of ability. Those adventurers who trek through these lands will find themselves on a remarkable and memorable journey through time.

Located 100 miles east of Pueblo on the historic Santa Fe Trail in the canyons and plains of southeastern Colorado, the uncrowded, clear, cool, blue waters of John Martin Reservoir provide some of the best boating, fishing and birdwatching in the state. For those who prefer terra firma, biking and hiking trails offer ample opportunities to watch wildlife and ponder the meaning of petroglyphs etched into the rocks by Native Americans who, centuries before, passed through as they followed the buffalo. Two different campgrounds are also available for those who want to cap off their outdoor adventure with a peaceful night's sleep beneath the stars. John Martin Reservoir State Park is one of the largest reservoirs in all of Colorado and qualifies as a "must do" on the outdoor adventurist list.