The BLM’s Elephant Rocks Area is three miles north of Del Norte and south of Penitente Canyon Recreation Area.  The Elephant Rocks area is 378 acres at an elevation of 7,900 feet and managed by the San Luis Valley Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  This unique geologic formation allows for hiking, mountain biking, and climbing opportunities.

A weathered remnant of the Fish Canyon tuff, it was once habitat for the Columbian mammoths that lived in the San Luis Valley during the Pleistocene Epoch.  Local legend has it that these giant creatures left their mark on the rocks, leaving ‘rubs,’ smooth surfaces 8-10 feet above the average man.

This is a five-mile long formation of monolithic boulders within a mix of short grass prairie and foothill shrub land.  This area is full of amazing scenery and is great for exploring.  You might see Rock Wrens, Green-tailed Towhees, Ash-throated Flycatchers, Bushtits and Pinyon Jays, Cassin’s Kingbirds, pronghorn, deer, marmots, lizards, snakes, chipmunks, and rock squirrels.  See Map Here