To'aheedliinii

The Dolores River rises in the San Juan Mountains and descends through the high country of southwestern Colorado. Its valley was part of Ute country before Spanish expeditions entered the region. In 1765 Juan María de Rivera's party travelled along the Dolores toward the north; in 1776 the Domínguez and Escalante expedition followed a route through the broader basin while seeking a way from Santa Fe toward California.