Little Snake Field Office • COLORADO

BLM

Little Yampa

Canyon

Description

The Bureau of Land Management’s Little Yampa Canyon 

Special Recreation Management Area includes public lands 

on Duffy Mountain and Iles Mountain. Portions of the Yampa 

River, Yampa Valley Trail and the “65 Million Years in 65 

Miles” Interpretive Drive are located in Little Yampa Canyon. 

The area is popular for hunting, fishing, off-highway vehicle 

activities, wildlife viewing, sightseeing and geocaching. 

Motorized and mechanized vehicles are allowed on designated 

routes only.

The Yampa Valley Trail extends from Steamboat Springs, 

Colorado to Dinosaur National Monument, and connects with 

other regional trails on either end. Approximately 23 miles of 

the Yampa Valley Trail within the area include multiple-use 

and non-motorized, single track segments. 

The 38-mile flatwater float trip through the Little Yampa 

Canyon may be accessed from the South Beach River Access 

site off of State Highway 13 south of Craig. The take-out at 

West Duffy Mountain River Access site is off of Moffat County 

Road 17. The trip usually requires an overnight camp along 

the river on public lands. Users must be aware that there are 

private lands along the upper and lower segments of the river; 

do not trespass without permission from the landowner. A user 

fee is charged at developed river access sites. River maps are 

available from the BLM or Yampa River State Park. Colorado 

Parks and Wildlife and the BLM cooperatively enforce all 

applicable laws and regulations on public lands within the 

Yampa River Corridor. Permits are required for commercial 

guides and outfitters.

The “65 Million Years in 65 Miles” Interpretive Drive begins 

and ends in Craig. This self-guided tour provides opportunities 

BLM/CO/GI-11/007

to see paleontology, geology, wildlife, historical buildings and 

much more. The section of the tour through the Little Yampa 

Canyon offers a short hike highlighting features that resulted 

from the area’s history as a shallow sea more than 65 million 

years ago.

Little Yampa Canyon is listed as a Wildlife Viewing Area. 

The pinyon-juniper, sagebrush, cottonwoods, willow and 

other riparian vegetation provide habitat for elk, mule deer, 

pronghorn, and occasionally other inhabitants such as coyote, 

badger, fox and marmot. Many species of birds inhabit the 

area including golden and bald eagles, turkey vultures and 

sagegrouse.

Access

From Highway 40 on the west end of Craig, take Moffat County 

Road 13 south. When you reach Moffat County Road 17, 

proceed west until you reach the BLM entrance road 1596 to 

Duffy Mountain. Motorized vehicles are limited to designated 

roads. Designated roads are marked with signs.

Maps

BLM Meeker and Craig Color Quads (scale = 1:100,000). 

USGS Topographic Maps (scale = 1:24,000) – Castor Gulch 

(south of Craig), Round Bottom, Horse Gulch and Juniper Hot 

Springs are available from USGS, Box 25046, Denver Federal 

Center, Denver, Colorado 80225, phone (303) 236-5900 or at 

http://store.usgs.gov.

For more information contact the

BLM Little Snake Field Office

455 Emerson Street, Craig, Colorado 81625

Phone (970) 826-5000

http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en.html

Special Recreation

Management Area

cover photo by William Pilgrim