Mancos, CO
Mancos is a small town with old western charm situated in a lovely valley of southwestern Colorado between the La Plata Mountains and Mesa Verde National Park. The area's economy is based on ranching, timber, archeology and tourism. Nearest cities are Cortez, 18 miles to the west and Durango, 30 miles to the east. Mancos is linked to surrounding communities by the San Juan Skyway, a national scenic byway (see map below).
Early inhabitants of the area included the Anasazi, a pre-Columbian Native American culture now sometimes called Ancestral Puebloan, who constructed the impressive cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde. It is estimated the population of the Four Corners area was greater during the Anasazi period than today. The disappearance of the Anasazi remains a mystery, but archeologists believe they migrated south to New Mexico and Arizona to became the Pueblo people of today. The Anasazi were succeeded by members of the Ute and Navajo cultures who still make the area their home.
The first Europeans to visit the region were a party of Spanish explorers led by Franciscan friars Dominguez and Escalante who camped in the area in August of 1776. Early visitors mistakenly assumed the numerous ancient ruins were part of the Aztec civilization of central Mexico, which explains why place names here, such as Montezuma County and Cortez, are taken from Aztec history.
Mancos gets its name from the regenerative powers of the Mancos Valley. Mancos is Spanish for the crippled; horses lamed in early crossings of treacherous mountain trails were left to graze among the plentiful grasses and clear streams of the Mancos Valley until they recovered.
Located in the southwest corner of the state of Colorado, at the base of Mesa Verde National Park.
Town Population: 1100
District Population: 2500
Below are some helpful links if you are moving or visiting the area.