Western Slope
The wild horse range north of Grand Junction
Northeast of Grand Junction, between the city and De Beque, a stretch of canyon-and-plateau country is set aside for an unusual purpose: it is home to wild horses, protected by federal law.
The Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It traces to the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, the law that made it the federal government’s job to protect free-roaming horses on public land. The BLM describes this as one of only a few areas in the country designated specifically to protect wild horses. The herd here shows a wide range of colors, from palominos and paints to roans and blacks, and the range has trails open for hiking, riding, and wildlife viewing.
Why care: it explains why a band of horses can roam free so close to a city, and why the BLM manages the herd’s size and the land’s water and forage. It is a real, durable part of how public land works here, not a private ranch.
Conditions, herd numbers, and access can change. For how the range is managed and how to visit it responsibly, see the Bureau of Land Management’s official pages.
Sources
Official or primary sources used for this note. Local details can change, so confirm before acting.