Most visitors to Colorado head for the mountains or western canyonlands, often deriding the State's eastern plains as a dull, flat extension of Kansas. But naturalists know that there are many interesting areas across these High Plains, including two National Grasslands, the Palmer Divide, a number of large lakes, the South Platte and Arkansas Valleys and some unexpected topography; among the latter is Apishapa Canyon, in southern Colorado.
Rising on the east flank of the Culebra Range and on the south side of the Spanish Peaks, the Apishapa River flows eastward and then northeastward, joining the Arkansas east of Fowler.
Along the way, this stream and its tributaries have cut a deep, scenic canyon in the semiarid plains, a natural oasis for a wide variety of wildlife. Herds of pronghorn graze the adjacent grasslands while mule deer and bighorn sheep inhabit the rugged walls of the canyon; predators include coyotes, bobcats, swift fox and the occasional mountain lion. Resident birds, attracted by the pinyon-juniper woodlands, include wild turkey, scaled quail, scrub jays, rock wrens and other birds typical of the foothill shrublands. Apishapa Canyon is also the nesting and hunting grounds for a variety of raptors, including golden eagles, Swainson's hawks and prairie falcons.
This remote Canyon, partly protected within an 8000 acre State Wildlife Area, is best reached from Colorado 10, about 18 miles northeast of Walsenburg; turn south on 220 and follow signs to the refuge, eventually using roads 77 and 90. A four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended, especially when the roadways are wet or snow covered. Visitors are also advised to stay on trails and, during the warm season, to watch for the resident rattlesnakes.
