"Just Another Day in Paradox"
an episode of the Stone Canyon Adventures TV series

Stone Canyon and his crew give you a hilarious and informative tour of a collapsed salt dome in southwestern Colorado, complete with uranium mines and dinosaurs!

$12.95 VHS Video (Colorado residents add 2.9% sales tax, total $13.33), 37 Minutes (approx.) includes shipping.
Buy Just Another Day in Paradox here. Also, 7.5-minute Geologic Map quadrangles of this area are available from Stone Canyon; buy them here

This page gives additional information about the area and its inhabitants that were not covered in the video. Use it in conjunction with the video for even more desert fun!

Make your own maps of Paradox, Colorado!

Directions (How do I get there?)
From the NORTH: From Clifton, Colorado (about 7 miles East of Grand Junction, CO): Exit I-70 at Exit #37 (Business Route 70/6/50). It only exits in one direction, to the south. The road curves and in about 1.5 miles, you come to the intersection with CO State Hwy 141. Turn Left (South) on Hwy 141. Continue on Hwy 141 thru the towns of Whitewater and Gateway, to its intersection with CO State Hwy 90 (100 miles). Turn Right (West) on Hwy 90. In about 2 miles, you'll enter the PARADOX VALLEY. To get to the Gypsum Valley, continue on Hwy 141 thru the town of Naturita, for a distance of 29 miles to the Gypsum Valley Road (County Road 20R) and turn right into the Gypsum Valley. Total: 104 miles to Paradox Valley or 131 miles to Gypsum Valley. OR: Use highway 191 south to Moab, Utah and follow the directions for "From the WEST"

From the SOUTH: From Cortez, Colorado: US Hwy. 666 North, to the town of Dove Creek (35 miles). Continue on Hwy 666 about 2 more miles to CO state Hwy 141. Turn Right (North). Go to the small settlement of Slickrock (22 miles), and continue on Hwy 141 for about another 12 miles to what the locals call "Gyp Gap". Just after passing thru the gap, turn left on the Gypsum Valley Road (County Road 20R) OR continue towards Paradox Valley on Hwy 141 to Naturita (27 miles). Continue on Hwy 141 thru Naturita to CO State Hwy 90 (2 miles). Turn Left (West) on Hwy 90. In about 2 miles, you'll enter the PARADOX VALLEY. Total: 71 miles to Gypsum Valley or 102 miles to Paradox Valley.

From the EAST: From Telluride, Colorado: CO State Highway 145 North, thru the towns of Placerville and Norwood, to its intersection with CO State Hwy. 141 (50 miles). To get to Gypsum Valley, turn Left (South) on Hwy 141; Go about 23 miles to the Gypsum Valley Road (County Road 20R) and turn right into the Gypsum Valley. OR, go NORTH (straight ahead) on Hwy 141 thru the town of Naturita to CO State Hwy 90 (6 miles). Turn Left (West) on Hwy 90. In about 2 miles, you'll enter the PARADOX VALLEY. Total: 73 miles to Gypsum Valley or 58 miles to Paradox Valley.

From the WEST: From Moab, Utah: US Highway 191 South to its intersection with Utah State Hwy. 46 (22 miles). Turn Left (East) on Hwy 46. Go to the Utah-Colorado Border (22 miles) where the highway becomes Colorado State Hwy 90. In about 8 miles, you'll enter the PARADOX VALLEY. To get to Gypsum Valley, continue on Hwy 90 to its intersection with CO State Hwy. 141 (25 miles). Turn Right (South) on Hwy. 141. Stay on Hwy 141, thru the town of Naturita, for a distance of 29 miles to the Gypsum Valley Road (County Road 20R) and turn right into the Gypsum Valley. Total: 52 miles to Paradox Valley or 106 miles to Gypsum Valley

Weather
The best times to visit this area are Spring and Fall. Summer temperatures are quite hot and winter temps are quite cold. However, you should be prepared for ANY type of weather, ANY time of year. It has snowed here in May, but has also been 75° F in January! Top of Page

Activities
Off-roading: Little Gypsum Valley, Skein Mesa, Nyswonger Mesa, Bull Canyon, Anderson Mesa, Island Mesa, LaSal Creek Canyon and more, more, more!
Mountain Biking: Anderson Mesa, Saucer Basin, LasSal Creek Canyon, Ray Mesa, Skein Mesa and more!
Climbing and Bouldering: Anderson Mesa, Spring Canyon, Walls of Paradox Valley, Hamm Canyon, Gypsum Valley near the Dolores River and more!
Hiking and Backpacking: Spring Canyon, Anderson Mesa, Heiroglyphic Canyon, Coyote Wash, Lower LaSal Creek Canyon, Little Gypsum Valley, Dolores Canyons.
Kayaking, Rafting, Canoeing: Dolores River (Slickrock Canyon, Dolores Canyon)
Fishing: Mainly for trout in the Gypsum Valley, Paradox Valley, Slickrock Canyon and Dolores Canyon. The flow of the river is controlled by the McPhee Dam, upstream near Cortez, Colorado. Because of this, seasonal fluctuations in the river's flow rate can be extreme during periods of drought. Rare fish such as the humpback chub have been documented here.
Photography: A beautiful area to pursue your best photography! Fantastic sunsets are common here. Try Bull Canyon, Rims of Paradox Valley, Rims of Gypsum Valley; Saucer Basin, Coyote Wash, or Anderson Mesa. See Stone's "World Arch Database" for MORE!

Lodging and Services
It's quite a ways to any lodging, gas or services from almost anywhere in this area, so be sure you have plenty of supplies when setting out:
Naturita: Hotel (1), gas, food, bar, restaurant, auto parts.
Bedrock: Gas, food, liquor.
Slick Rock: Food (?)
Norwood: Gas, Food, Lodging
Telluride: Everything, but could be expensive.
Cortez: Everything.
Moab, UT: Everything
Monticello, UT: Everything
Top of Page

Flora
We found some interesting cactus species in the area:
Devil Claw (Sclerocactus parviflorus v. intermedius) Photograph
Whipple Rose-colored Devil Claw, A RARE CACTUS (Sclerocactus whipplei v. roseus) Photograph
Claret cup (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) Photograph
Porcupine Prickly Pear (Opuntia erinacea v. hystricina) Photograph
Plains cactus (Pediocactus simpsonii)

Additional species of cacti include:
Cliff Prickly Pear (Opuntia erinacea v. utahensis)
Loose Prickly Pear (Opuntia fragilis v. brachyarthra)
Fragile Prickly Pear (Opuntia fragilis)
Red Spined Prickly Pear (Opuntia polyacantha v. rufispina)
Hair-spined Prickly Pear (Opuntia polyacantha v. trichophora)
Tuberous-rooted Prickly Pear (Opuntia macrorhiza)
Purple-fruited Prickly Pear (Opuntia phaeacantha)
Major Prickly Pear (Opuntia phaeacantha v. major)
Black-spined Claret Cup (Echinocereus triglochidiatus v. melanacanthus)
Spinier Devil Claw, A RARE CACTUS (Sclerocactus spinosior)

The following genus of cacti do not seem to be represented here in Paradox: Mammilaria, Cereus, Neolloydia, Ferocactus, and Echinocactus

The variety of desert flowers in the spring is phenomenal, including:
Lupines
many members of the composite (sunflower) family
Penstemon
Milkweed
And many, many more!

In Fall, the Desert Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosis) makes a fantastic display of yellow.
A persistent person may be able to find RARE or even UNKNOWN plants (including cactus) in the Paradox and Gypsum valleys, because they contain many locally specialized soils, which give rise to specialized plants. Top of Page

Fauna
Deer, Elk, Mountain Lion, Ringtail (a relatively rare animal), Jackrabbit, Cottontail Rabbit, Coyote; Fox; at least two species of rattlesnake and many other snakes; Golden Eagle, Hawks and other birds of prey; Vultures, Ravens and other scavenging birds; at least 4 kinds of lizards including the Collared Lizard;. many kinds of Beetles (is there anywhere on the planet that does NOT have scarabs?); Black Widow spiders and a wealth of other insects and spiders. Top of Page

Geology
The Paradox and Gypsum Valleys are collapsed salt anticlines which are explained in detail in the video.
7.5-minute Geologic Map quadrangles of this area are available from Stone Canyon; buy them here. They show all the rock types, their ages, and their locations where they outcrop on the surface. These maps will be especially useful to rock hounds.
Top of Page

History and Archeology
Indian Henry's Cabin (Bull Canyon): The colorful history of this cabin is described by author Howard Greager in his book "In the Company of Cowboys". Read the story of The Killing of Indian Henry. Other books Greager has written tell all about the history of this area: the Ute Indians, and how it was settled by white folks in the 1870's. Most of the conflicts (some deadly) in this area were between the white folks, amongst themselves. Hours of interesting reading fun await you in these colorful stories!

Cold Soldiers: The miners in this area were silent soldiers in the Cold War.

Petroglyphs can be found all around the area, including some very accessible ones near the spot where the Dolores River leaves the Gypsum Valley.

Native Americans: There is other evidence of Native Americans in the area, such as arrowheads and the chipping sites where they were made.

Mining: The history of mining in this area is covered both in the video and in the Howard Greager books. Top of Page

Paleontology
This area is GREAT for fossil hunting. The rocks range in age from the Pennsylvanian period (300 mya) to the Cretaceous Period (ending about 60 mya). Therefore, there is great potential for finding dinosaur fossils and many other types of organisms that lived during these times.

Geography
Arches, Towers, Canyons, Goblins, Tables, Balanced Rocks and MORE, MORE, MORE! This area has a great potential for the discovery of natural arches previously unknown or undocumented. To find out where all the known arches are in this area, subscribe to Stone Canyon Media's World Arch Database. Search the database using the following parameters: Latitude: 38° 07.50' N to 38° 22.50' N and Longitude 108° 45.00' W to 109° 00.00' W. Other interesting geographical features are covered in the video. Top of Page