Take a nature scavenger hike!

Take a deeper look into your forest. Try to find the following items as you walk the Dave Wood 

Environmental Area nature trail. Use the descriptions as clues. The answers are at the stations.

Ponderosa pine trees have long (greater than 

3 inches), thin needles and cones with bristles. 

Along the trail, look for naturally established 

trees in a random pattern and trees planted in 

even rows.

Pinon pine 

trees have short 

trunks and spreading branches with yellow-green needles that are less than 

3 inches long and cones without bristles. 

Look for their delicious, edible seeds!

Mountain mahogany have leaves that are small, 

dark green above and whitish beneath. Compare 

the shape of its leaves with the one pictured to 

the right. It is a favorite food of

big game animals.

Gambel oak have broad leaves 2 to 7 inches long, 

with 7 to 11 lobes. The leaves are smooth and 

shiny on the upper surface and hairy below. The 

dark green color turns orange and reddish in the 

fall. Although oak brush has acorns, it reproduces 

from sprouts. This deciduous shrub grows abundantly here, and is munched by deer and cattle.

Sagebrush is a silvery gray to pale aromatic 

shrub with a woody stem. This low growing 

evergreen plant keeps much of its leaves 

over the winter months. 

Bluebird houses have 

been placed along the 

trail to encourage bluebird habitat. Can you 

find them? Can you spot a bluebird? Look for a 

flash of blue among the trees.

Trace fossils made by shrimp like creatures appear 

as small red and orange tunnel and linear shapes 

in the rock. These fossils are 100,000,000 years old 

and reflect life along beaches and shallow water; 

remnants of an inland sea that existed long before 

the mountains were formed.

Utah juniper and Rocky Mountain juniper 

are trees that can look like shrubs. If you 

see tiny sharp needles (less than 1/2 inch) 

arranged singly not in bundles, that look 

like scales along with bluish berries instead 

of cones, then it is a juniper tree. There 

are 2 types of juniper in this area. Gray and 

shredding bark is a Utah juniper (top right). 

If the bark is reddish brown and shredding, 

it is a Rocky Mountain juniper or red cedar 

(bottom right).

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At Station 8 you will find a tree 

hugging another tree! Find the tree 

that was killed by a lightning strike 

with another tree growing right next 

to it. The top of the dead tree is seen 

laying on the other side of the trail.

Station 7 - Transition to a native forest 

The Ponderosa pines here look quite different from those you saw at Station 5 where 

they had been densely planted in rows. 

What differences do you see? These trees 

are much taller, have thicker stems, and are 

growing in a scattered arrangement – not in 

straight lines. These trees are not planted, 

but have become established naturally. This 

area gives you an idea of what this forest 

looked like long ago. Note that the bark 

color of the trees you see here is not the 

dark grey and black of the planted trees. 

Also the bark forms longer, somewhat flatter plates than the rough bark seen at 

Station 5. As you walk down the trail, notice that some trees are forked or twisted. 

Station 8 - Forest shaped by fire

Fire serves a very important ecological role in maintaining a healthy 

Ponderosa pine forest. Before Anglo 

settlers arrived in the late 1800’s, fire 

was a frequent visitor to the Plateau. 

Scientific studies concluded that large 

fires occurred, on average, every 21 

years while smaller fires occurred 

more frequently. Fire helps keep the 

tree population from getting too large, 

providing room for smaller vegetation, 

like grasses, forbs, and shrubs, to grow. 

These plants provide food and cover 

for many wildlife species. Frequent fire 

also keeps the forest floor relatively 

clear of fuels, like needles, branches, 

and logs, which can otherwise build 

up and set the stage for very large, 

forest-destroying fires.

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Station 9 - Traces of ancient life in a long ago sea 

Cozy up to a rock. Feel the texture; does it feel 

smooth like a marble, or rough like sandpaper? 

Look very closely. Can you see grains of sand? What 

colors do you see? This rock is made of sand grains 

deposited on the shore of an inland sea that extended from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico 

about 100 million years ago! Over millions of years, 

the sand was buried beneath more layers of sand, 

compacted, cemented together, and turned into a 

rock called the Dakota sandstone which often forms 

the tops of mesas in western Colorado. 

Look closely at the rocks here and also scattered along the trail. Watch for 

tube or rectangular shapes about 1⁄2 inch wide on the top or sides of the 

rocks. These are called trace fossils and were formed by animals as they 

slithered or burrowed through the sand. Some of the burrows are dark red 

and have a knobby appearance. These were left by shrimp-like animals and 

are thought to be both feeding and dwelling structures. Trace fossils give us 

clues about the behavior of the animal and include footprints, molds, casts, 

and fossil poop called coprolites.

Station 10 - Tree age, lightning, and a snag

As Ponderosa pine trees age, the bark changes 

from the black, rough texture of young trees to 

what you see here, an orange or cinnamon 

color forming long, flat plates. Usually the 

smoother and wider the plates are, the older 

the tree. The thickest trees at this station are 

over 200 years old! Note the large, dead Ponderosa pine nearby. A standing dead tree is 

called a “snag”. Snags provide very important 

habitat for many life forms. Insects feed on 

them and birds, in turn, feed on the insects. 

Fungi and bacteria help decay the tree, softening the wood so that certain birds like woodpeckers can construct “cavities” that serve as 

nests. Some small animals such as raccoons 

may move into an unused nest cavity and “remodel” it to suit their own needs. There is no 

waste in nature. 

A porcupine must have munched

on this Ponderosa pine! Note the 

two main stems at the top.

Porcupines sometimes feed on the thin bark they find near the tops of pine 

trees. This feeding often kills the main stem, causing a side branch to take 

over as the dominant stem. Sometimes several side branches compete for 

top honors, resulting in a many-forked top.

Cozy up to a rock!

This dead tree is called 

home by many plants and 

animals.

Fork in the trail - Just after Station 10 you will come to a fork in the trail. 

Go to the right (to the south) to Station 14 through 16 or proceed ahead to 

Stations 11 through 13 and double back for Stations 14 to 16.
of you? Trees are densely packed and 

growing in straight lines or rows, and most 

are about the same height. What does this 

pattern suggest? These ponderosa pine trees 

were planted as seedlings by the Forest Service. Before the trees were planted, a bulldozer was used to scrape the oak brush and 

other vegetation from the ground surface to 

make room for the tree seedlings. A short 

distance up the trail, you can see evidence 

of a long, low pile of branches and debris 

called a windrow that resulted from the 

clearing work. A planting machine was then 

towed behind a bulldozer and a person 

inside the machine placed seedlings in the 

ground at regular intervals, which resulted 

in the lines of trees you see today. 

Nature does not often do its work in 

straight lines. Study the picture below to

compare the appearance of a natural forest 

to a forest planted by hand.

 Photograph at Station 5 showing 

trees planted by hand in rows.

Station 6 - Welcome to the lower montane forest (life zones) 

You are standing in a 

montane forest. The word 

montane means mountain. These forests occur 

between 5,500-9,000 feet 

elevation. Not surprisingly 

the major feature of this 

zone is trees! Ponderosa 

pines dominate in this 

forest along with Rocky 

Mountain juniper. Other 

trees and shrubs in the 

montane forest include 

aspen and mountain mahogany. 

Photograph showing an aerial view of naturally established forest on east side of 

trail and planted trees on the west side of the trail. North is to the top of the image. 

(Photo credit: Google Earth)

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Station 11 - Growing up in the forest

Look at the bare ground surface to the left 

(south) of the trail. Solid sandstone bedrock is 

exposed with other loose rocks on top. Think 

about trying to plant a garden here. Farmers 

would say it’s too rocky yet great Ponderosa 

pines grow. On the other side of the trail look 

for a large tree with rocks around the base, 

pushed up as the tree grew. Small seedings take 

root in cracks in the rock. As they grow, the 

roots advance deeper into the cracks making 

them wider. Water seeping into the cracks and 

freezing make the cracks wider still. This is 

called “weathering” of the bedrock. When the tree reaches maturity, dies, 

and falls, the cracked bedrock comes up with the tree roots and is scattered 

across the ground surface, like you see at Station 11. This is how bedrock 

becomes soil.

Can you find this tree with an 

apron of broken rock around 

its base at Station 11?

Compare the Utah juniper (left) and Rocky Mountain juniper (center) with the oak 

brush (right). In the fall, the leaves of the oak brush will turn orange, red, and scar- let before being shed. New, green oak leaves will grow in the spring.

Station 13 - Canopy layers, birds, and a bluebird box

The crowns of the trees above you are almost interconnected providing an 

umbrella-like cover. We call this the forest canopy. There is a lot of bird 

action going on up there! Shorter trees below are referred to as the 

sub-canopy, even shorter shrubs are the undergrowth, and the wildflowers 

and grasses are the ground cover on the forest floor. Each layer of vegetation is the playground for different birds, mammals, and insects and many 

often move between layers. 

Station 12 - Conifers or deciduous trees - what is the difference?

Deciduous trees like aspen or oak shed their leaves every autumn and go 

through the winter with bare branches. Coniferous trees like pines keep 

green needles throughout the year. At Station 12 you will find many of the 

trees in the scavenger hunt. You have already seen Ponderosa pines, sage, 

and Pinon pines along the trail. At Station 12 look for Utah juniper and 

Rocky Mountain juniper. Are they deciduous or coniferous? 
Station 3 - Mind your manners!

When you walk along this trail, be on your best behavior, just like you were 

visiting your grandmother, aunt, or other family member. 

• Don’t walk in their flower or vegetable garden! In this case, stay on the 

 trail.

• Don’t disturb your napping grandfather or baby cousin. In this case, talk

 in quiet voices so others can enjoy the sounds of nature.

• Don’t throw your trash on the floor or in their backyard. In this case, pack

 out what you pack in. No one wants to see trash in nature.

• Don’t take your grandmother’s prize possessions! In this case, leave what

 you find so others can enjoy it. Preserve and keep an awesome find 

 through a photograph or a sketch in your journal.

“Leave No Trace” is the golden rule of nature. Enjoy this trail but leave no 

trace of your visit!

Station 4 - Did you know that sagebrush plants can communicate? 

The fragrant, low, pale green shrubs around you are sagebrush. When 

sagebrush are munched on by mule deer or other animals, they don’t take 

it lying down. The plants emit volatile chemicals. These strong-smelling 

messengers trigger nearby sagebrush plants to adjust their defenses. Put 

your nose next to a sagebrush and take a big breath. You’re smelling the 

camphor, terpenoids and oils that make some wildlife say, “No thanks” to 

eating sage. 

9 2

Station 14 - Horsefly Peak

Look out into the distance; you can see Horsefly Peak. At 10,000 feet it is the high point on 

the Uncompahgre Plateau. The peak is capped 

by Mancos shale. The shale was deposited on 

top of the Dakota sandstone, which you are 

currently standing on. Both of these geologic 

formations were deposited in the long, inland 

sea discussed at Stop 9. The Dakota sandstone 

caps much of the Uncompahgre Plateau which 

is a highland, extending from Ridgway north 

to Grand Junction. The highland is bounded by 

faults on the east and west sides. 

The trail leads through fragrant sagebrush at Station 4.

Do you see a flash of blue? Mountain bluebirds are 

common here on the plateau. Bluebirds are voracious insect consumers. This timid, cavity-nesting bird 

searches for hollows in decaying wooden fence posts 

or dead trees. Over the years, trees have been lost 

when land is cleared, metal posts replace wooden 

fence posts, and natural nesting cavities have become 

scarce. The bluebird box you see in this area provides 

a suitable house to encourage these birds to nest. The 

good news! With volunteers establishing and maintaining bluebird trails with nest boxes, these bright 

blue birds are on an upsurge. 

Fork in the trail - Just after Station 4 you will come to a fork in the trail. Go 

to the right (to the southeast) to Station 5. 

Station 5 - Nature is not linear - a planted forest

What do you notice about the size and arrangement of trees you see ahead

Horsefly Peak

Horsefly Peak can be seen in the distance to the south from Station 14.

Station 15 - Geology of the Uncompahgre Plateau and Uncomphagre 

Valley

The views around us tell stories of ancient seas, faulted mountains, volcanoes and a large river that carved the Uncompahgre Valley. Look to the 

south and east. The large, wide valley below is the Uncompahgre River 

valley. The river begins in the San Juan Mountains to the south of Ouray, 

passes through the City of Montrose, and joins with the Gunnison River in 

Delta. 

On the opposite side of the valley is a large mountain rising almost 5,000 

feet above the valley floor. Gazing from the bottom to the top, we see 

gentle slopes made of light yellow to tan colored Mancos shale. This is the 

same shale that is found at the top of Horsefly Peak. Brown to red colored 

vegetation is pinon/juniper and oakbrush, much like we see growing here in 

the drainage next to us. Above that are light green colored aspen (when

A bluebird nest box.
Station 1 - Kiosk 

You have just arrived here by driving the Dave Wood Road. Who was Dave 

Wood and why is this road named for him? Dave Wood was a successful 

freighter (wagon train operator) in southwestern Colorado. He started his 

business in 1881 in Gunnison. When the railroad built its narrow-gauge 

line through the Black Canyon and over Cerro Summit into Montrose, Dave 

Wood took his business to Montrose and for five years he was the exclusive agent for all freight going to Ouray, Telluride, and Rico. His freight was 

hauled along this road.

Station 2 - Land use in the forest 

The corral and loading chute you see are a reflection of historic ranching 

on the Uncompahgre Plateau. Ranching continues to be an important use 

of the National Forest here. The corral is just a recent chapter of man’s 

appreciation of the forest resources. Archaeologists tell us that humans 

have lived in this area for over 10,000 years. About 1,000 years ago, the 

Ute people migrated to these lands from an area in current-day southern 

New Mexico and Arizona. The Utes were good caretakers of the land. 

They hunted game in the cool forests and woodlands of the Uncompahgre 

Plateau and moved down to the warmer river valleys in the winter. The first 

historic account of Europeans in the Uncompahgre country is the 1765 Juan 

Rivera expedition on its way from Santa Fe to California. During the early 

1800’s, mountain men in search of beaver pelts visited the area. Gold and 

silver were discovered in the San Juan Mountains in 1875 and began a flood 

of fortune seekers to Ouray and Telluride. Soon, others were lured by the 

plentiful water flowing in the Uncompahgre and Gunnison Rivers and in 

1882 the Uncompahgre Valley Ute people were removed to a reservation 

making room for cattlemen and farmers.

Gate to old corral and loading chute, Station 2.

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leafed out, otherwise light tan colored when the leaves have fallen). The 

top of the mountain has cliffs made of volcanic rock. Volcanoes near Ouray, 

Lake City and Silverton (the San Juan volcanic field) blasted volcanic ash and 

other rubble across the southwestern part of the state between 40 and 19 

million years ago. Some of the volcanic rock was moved by rivers draining 

from the high volcanoes. The volcanic rock is harder and more resistant to 

erosion than the softer Mancos shale on the slopes below, and forms steep 

cliffs. Patches of dark green vegetation near the base of the cliffs are spruce 

and fir trees. In contrast to the Uncompahgre Plateau which was warped 

and faulted upward, this mountain is high because rivers have cut down 

through the soft Mancos shale. The volcanic rock capping the mountain top 

has protected it from being worn down completely. 

Mancos shale

Dakota sandstone

Volcanic rock

View to the east from near Station 15.

Station 16 - Ready to explore more?

At this point, you may return the way you arrived or take a short cut to 

your right (west) through the corrals and back to the parking area. As an 

alternative, you may continue on the trail; however, it is unimproved and 

not maintained. The trail continues into the drainage, and if you turn left 

(north) and follow the creek, you will wander through an aspen forest that 

leads to a beaver pond. The trail continues across the creek.

Ready to learn more?

Want to learn more about the Dave Wood 

Environmental Area Trail? Find out more in depth 

information and see more photographs of the trail? 

Visit our website for this trail at http://www.fs.usda.

gov/goto/DaveWood. There is even more fun stuff 

to learn about other resources within the National 

Forest at our learning website at http://www.fs.

usda.gov/main/gmug/learning. Reference the QR 

code on the right.

The USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.
Dave Wood 

Environmental Area

Trail Guide

A trail wanders through this pine forest, beckoning the hiker to explore. To the 

casual observer, there is just the forest, the path, and the sky. To the careful 

observer, however, there is evidence of multiple ecosystems, traces of past life 

that swam in an ancient sea, plants that actually communicate with each other, 

and traces of history that shaped our lives.

Be an observant hiker and discover your forest - there are surprises everywhere! 

This guide will help get you started. Visit the GMUG National Forest website for 

more information on the Dave Wood Environmental Area.

Graphic design by Nancy Lamm

Trail Map

in this area.other trails to hike station as well as to locate each go. Use the map which direction to map to find out so refer to your several places The trail forks in in this trail guide. stations described the left to find the Use the map on