(The entrance to the Burro Canyon Slot from the end of the access route.)

This is another Beta hiking route I've discovered in the Four Corners area, this one in the Clinton era Canyon of the Ancients National Monument. Recreational use in this area is, unfortunately, sensitive due both archaeological protection and divisive conflicts with private land in-holders.

I've personally never had any problems in the area, save for the misleading maps that exclude fuly legal roads while also asserting that anything **not** on the map is not legal. I've been informed by the folks at nearby Hovenweep that this is not the case, the only illegal roads are now marked as such. This does make sense, if you think about it, and the area is also lightly patrolled. This hike is completely legal and does not cross private property, but can be used to access the middle reaches of Yellow Jacket Creek and the bottom of Sandstone Creek. As always, be respectful of both private property and any ruins you might discover - and, hopefully, we can help to build a great recreational future for this unique area, best for a Fall-Spring hikes.

Or, as Bob Dylan would say, "The Times they are a-Changing..."

I've been looking for a route down to Hermosa Creek, just outside of Durango, for at least a couple of years, and, finally I've found it - literally almost right in front of my nose.

The Hermosa Campground is the closest, formal, legal campground to Durango, as well as a very popular multiple use trail head into a very large drainage - but I was looking just for quick access to the creek.