Horsethief Canyon State Wildlife Area

About Horsethief Canyon State Wildlife Area

Recreation at Horsethief Canyon is managed by the Colorado Division of Wildlife under agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation, Western Colorado Area Office - Northern Division, Grand Junction, Colorado. It was acquired and developed to partially replace wildlife habitat values lost as a result of the construction of the Grand Valley Unit of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Project.Horsethief Canyon State Wildlife Area has 2,080 acres of land which offers access to various trails leading to a wilderness area. The area receives about 1,500 visits per year with visitation expected to increase as the area becomes better known. The area follows the Colorado River. Because this area follows the river and its primary function is for wildlife habitat, insects can be a nuisance, especially during the spring and early summer. Insect repellent, hats, long-sleeves and pants are recommended.

How to Get There

Take I-70 to Fruita, Colorado, then go south on Colorado Highway 340 for 4 miles, turn west at King View Estates on County Road 1.3 and drive for about 2 miles to the wildlife area boundary.

Plan Your Visit to Horsethief Canyon State Wildlife Area

Heading to Horsethief Canyon State Wildlife Area? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)