• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Uncover Colorado Logo

  • Blog
  • Activities
    • Year-round
      • Brewery Tours
      • Casinos & Gaming
      • Caves
      • Colorado Brands
      • Escape Rooms
      • Federal Lands
      • Food & Dining
      • Ghost Towns
      • Gondola & Chairlifts
      • Hot Springs
      • Lakes
      • Landmarks
      • Mine Tours
      • Mountains
      • Museums
      • Paintball
      • Performing Arts
      • Public Parks
      • Rivers
      • Scenic Drives
      • Sightseeing Tours
      • Shopping
      • Sports Teams
      • State Parks
      • Train Rides
      • Transportation
      • Winery Tours
      • Wildlife
      • Zip Lines & Aerial Parks
    • Spring, Summer & Fall
      • Amusement Parks
      • ATV Rentals
      • Biking
      • Boating
      • Camping
      • Drive-In Theaters
      • Fishing
      • Golf Courses
      • Hiking
      • Horseback Riding
      • Jeep Rentals
      • Rock Climbing
      • Tubing & Paddling
      • Waterfalls
      • Whitewater Rafting
    • Winter
      • Cross Country Skiing
      • Dog Sledding
      • Ice Climbing
      • Ice Fishing
      • Ice Skating
      • Skiing & Snowboarding
      • Sleigh Rides
      • Snow Tubing
      • Snowbiking
      • Snowmobiling
      • Snowshoeing
  • Events
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
  • Lodging
    • Budget Hotels
    • Historic Hotels
    • Luxury Hotels
    • Bed & Breakfasts
    • Boutique Hotels
    • Cabins & Glamping
    • Casinos w/ Lodging
    • Hot Spring w/ Lodging
    • Wineries w/ Lodging
    • Best Hotels
    • Dude Ranches
    • Campgrounds
  • Towns
  • Trip Planner
  • Search
  • Blog
  • Activities
  • Events
  • Lodging
  • Towns
  • Trip Planner
Image of the Mancos River in Colorado flowing through trees
The Mancos River in Colorado. Photo: Tye Redhouse

Mancos River – near Mancos

FacebookTwitter

The Mancos River, previously known as El Rio de San Lazaro, is an 85.4 mile-long river that passes through Colorado and a small part of New Mexico near the Four Corners region. This southwest flowing river’s name, Mancos, translates from Spanish meaning “one-armed.”

Mancos River Route

The Mancos River begins just northeast of the town of Mancos, where the West Mancos and East Mancos River conjoins. It flows through Mancos and continues south on Mesa Verde National Park’s border.

Image of the mancos river from a satellite
Satellite image of the Mancos River. Photo: Jesse Allen

The river keeps traveling southwest through the lower part of Colorado and crosses the border into New Mexico near the Four Corners Monument, where it meets with the San Juan River.

Activities on the Mancos River

One of the best places to fish on the Mancos River is in the West Mancos River, a stream just a couple of miles out of the town of Mancos that is known as an excellent area for catching trout. Brook trout, rainbow trout, and cutthroat trout are all relatively easy to hook in this part of the river.

Image of the Mancos River in Colorado
Mancos River. Photo: Tye Redhouse

Other water activities like rafting can be done just a few miles east of Mancos in Durango on the Animas River, another tributary to the San Juan River.

Also near the Mancos River is the Mesa Verde National Park, where there are over 600 cliff dwellings to look at, many places to hike, and 267 campsites at the Morefield Campground to spend a night or two.

Details:

Passes through:

  • Mancos
  • San Juan National Forest
  • Mesa Verde National Park

Length: 85.4 miles

Tributaries:

  • East Fork Mud Creek
  • Chicken Creek
  • West Mancos River
  • East Mancos River

Tributary to: San Juan River

Primary Sidebar

Join our Colorado travel community

Enter your email below and grab our free locals' guide and monthly what's up designed to help you live your Colorado life and uncover fun things to do. —and never miss out again.

Recent Posts

  • Things to do in October in Colorado
  • Can’t Miss Colorado Mountains
  • Celebrate Oktoberfest in Colorado like a Bavarian
  • 11 Colorful Autumn Drives in Colorado
  • Fantastic Fall Activities in Colorado

Footer

Get In Touch

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Resources
  • Disclaimer—Terms of Service
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter

Disclosure: Uncover Colorado is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Things To Do

  • Travel Blog
  • Colorado Activities
  • Colorado Events
  • Colorado Towns
  • Colorado Hotels
  • Colorado Restaurants
  • Colorado Transportation
  • Made in Colorado

Cheers! Mile High Happy Hour shares showcases Denver neighborhoods' restaurant happy hours.

Fall Activities

  • Camping
  • Federal Lands
  • Ghost Towns
  • Hot Springs
  • Landmarks
  • Ski Resorts
  • State Parks
  • Train Rides

Copyright © 2023 · Uncover Colorado | Sitemap | Advertise