Gateway Canyons Resort

Nestled in the Palisades of Western Colorado, you’ll be surrounded by nature’s most impressive creations at Gateway Canyons. Let us be your home in heart of red rock country.

Create your perfect weekend: scale the peaks, go horseback riding, unearth dinosaur bones, pamper yourself in the spa, dine under a chandelier of brilliant stars. An endless amount of outdoor adventures awaits.

Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa has you covered for a secluded retreat filled with adventures like none other in Western Colorado. Explore the serenity of our land while hiking, riding horses and driving UTVs. Leave the crowds behind and open yourself to nature, bucket-list worthy excursions & educational activities.

The Spa at Gateway is the perfect spot for a little indulgence and is designed to melt the stresses of daily life away. Our facials, massages and body treatments are tailored to your needs and feature restorative natural ingredients.

After a day of discovery and adventure, treat your palate to an adventure. Entrada offers vibrant views of the Palisade and an exclusive, yet casual dining experience, while Paradox Grille specializes in laid-back southwestern cuisine featuring craft cocktail creations.

Poolside or a secluded, sprawling Casita, the choice is yours. And the good news? The stunning views and luxurious amenities follow no matter which canyon hideaway you decide to call home.

When looking for a corporate retreat location in Colorado, consider the meeting facilities and outdoor opportunities at Gateway Canyons. Whether your retreat is indoor or outdoor focused, we have the venue to suit your needs.

Celebrate your big day under the stars in the heart of our stunning red rock canyon. Our Colorado wedding destination means gorgeous backdrops for you and endless adventure for your guests.

History
The development of Gateway Canyons has created many permanent jobs in the region as well as provided needed infrastructure, including the first wastewater treatment plant and a gas station. When we opened of the Outpost General Store in 2005, residents enjoyed access to fuel, food, supplies and a community porch.

We didn’t stop there. Gateway Canyons continually looks to the land and the people who live here to enhance the experiences and educational opportunities for our guests and our community as a whole.

John Hendricks, former Discovery Channel founder/ CEO, heard tales of the beautiful red rock country in Colorado from his father. It took him a while to finally see it with his own eyes, but when he and his family first came to Gateway, Colorado in 1995, they were moved by the beauty and history of the area, as well as by the spirit of its people.

Mr. Hendricks knew that this would be home. But he also felt compelled to share this special place with others. Soon Mr. Hendricks began the design for a sustainable resort that would highlight the beauty and endless adventures of the area.

Rooms & Suites
Choose from luxurious rooms and suites in either our Kiva Lodge or Kayenta Lodge our upgrade to one of our sumptuous Casitas. Either way, we pay the utmost attention to detail to ensure you are rejuvenated and at peace in our Colorado haven.

Casitas with a view of the stars
The Premium Casitas offer over approximately 800 square feet of luxury in tranquil seclusion on the resort grounds. The Stargazer Casitas come with a second floor featuring unobstructed views of the star filled sky. With outdoor showers, private decks with fire pits, and five bathrooms with free standing tubs, a Casita retreat is the ultimate indulgence.

Hacienda Casitas
Enjoy your getaway from the comfort of your Hacienda, where extra space for your post-adventure relaxation is joined by a dreamy outdoor shower, two bathrooms & breathtaking views.

Stargazer Casita
Our top-tier option for experiencing an authentic red rock escape, the Stargazer Casitas include a second floor den, and gazing deck boasting unobstructed views of the star-filled sky.

Kiva Lodge
The Kiva Lodge surrounds our pool and clubhouse courtyard, and is close to reception, the Kiva Coffee House and the Adventure Center. These 38 casually elegant rooms offer space to relax, private patios and balconies, private spas and more.

Please note the Kiva Lodge does not have elevators and that many of our rooms are on the second floor. When making your reservations, please notify our agents if you require first floor access.

Kayenta Lodge
We believe in generous rooms, comfortable beds, quality linens and details like deep tubs and spa-quality bath products. When you arrive in your room, we strive to help you feel relaxed and ready for the adventures that await you every day.

Entrada Restaurant
Besides the exceptional food and impressive wine list, Entrada is known for its truly serene location – our outdoor patio. Bask in the warmth and glow of a canyon sunset while dining on a perfectly prepared meal.

Start your day right on the patio under the shadow of the Palisade at our central restaurant named after the Entrada Sandstone Formation. At Gateway, we strive to keep the food on our table local.

As such, we believe in supporting our local area farmers and prefer to keep things as community based as possible. You’ll find our best dishes are inspired by the region and the produce that’s available.

Paradox Grille
Enjoy a casual, fun atmosphere for lunch or dinner. Afterwards, head upstairs to our gaming loft, with a pool table, shuffleboard and other games to keep you entertained well into the night. The gaming loft is a great destination for families and friends.

Paradox Grille is named for the unusual path the nearby Dolores River takes. Instead of flowing down the length of the valley, it cuts perpendicularly across the middle, dividing the appropriately named Paradox Valley in two. Paradox Grille specializes in laid-back southwestern cuisine featuring craft cocktail creations.

Kiva Café
Open seasonally for light fare, served up in a peaceful atmosphere. Kiva Café is also available year-round for special parties. The café offers specialty coffee drinks, grab-and-go items and specialty products from local artisans. A perfect stop on your way out to discover one of our many adventures.

Cantina
Enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the Cantina, lounging by the pool with a cool beverage in your hand. It’s as perfect an afternoon as you can get! Relax in the shadow of the Palisade and enjoy a handcrafted cocktail or one of our Chef’s signature dishes. Taking in a sunset at the Cantina is a perfect way to relax at the end of your day.

Mission Bell Amphitheater
This is one of our most scenic locations at the resort. Enjoy our Chef’s creations while you take in panoramic views of Gateway’s mesas.

Chef’s Tasting Table
We currently offer a chef’s tasting table in two locations, the Cottonwood Grove or Mission Bell Amphitheater. This is a 5-course chef tasting menu at $150/per person along with a $100 site fee not including tax, gratuity, or beverages.

The Spa at Gateway
The Spa only uses products packed with restorative natural ingredients; each of our treatment rooms are appointed with tiled showers and state-of-the-art technologies, and custom treatments, tailored to your body’s needs, are available upon request.

Set amongst the vibrant high-desert landscape and ancient Colorado canyons, The Spa is an experience not to be missed at Gateway Canyons Resort, Colorado.

Weddings
Plan your big day. Say “I do.” Celebrate with loved ones. Explore the canyons and mesas around Gateway. Whatever your wedding vision entails, we’ll make it come to life.

Whether it’s your first special day or a renewal of vows, our spectacular location offers the ultimate in destination weddings. Indoor or outdoors, elegant or rustic – our sprawling luxury resort has the setting for your dream wedding and a team that’ll make it happen.

Groups & Events
Whether you desire a casual or extravagant wedding, our experienced planners are dedicated to creating the wedding of your dream. We have the perfect event space for all of your meeting and event needs as well. Your family reunions, incentive events and corporate meetings will be unforgettable.

Corporate Groups
Plan your next event at the #10 Resort in the U.S., as named by Condé Nast Traveler’s 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards. From unique venues and endless team building activities and adventures, we ensure your attendees will be inspired and wanting to come back for more.

Gateway Canyons
Gateway Canyons is located in Unaweep Canyon, one of the most unique red rock canyons in the world. The word Unaweep is a Native American term meaning “canyon with two mouths.”

It is thought that the ancestral Colorado and Gunnison rivers may have cut through the soft red sandstone of the Uncompahgre Plateau, exposing stone dated to Precambrian times. This is believed to be the only canyon in the world that is drained by two creeks – East Creek and West Creek, sending water off in opposite directions.

Much like the nearby Colorado National Monument, our area has special recognition in Colorado geology. Ancient rivers eroded the rock away, exposing more than a hundred million years of the geologic record and fossils of dinosaurs and early amphibians.

Gateway has a rich history steeped in the peoples of the Pueblo, Fremont, and Ute Native American tribes, who once made these canyons and plateaus their home. The first known homesteaders came to Gateway in 1884.

Gateway has played host to gangs of cattle rustlers who used these canyon walls as hideouts from the law, gold miners who tunneled deep into the earth with the hope of finding their fortunes, and ranchers who have grazed thousands of head of cattle across Unaweep Canyon’s windswept grasslands.

In 1903, homesteading families built a small, dirt-floored cabin to be used as a schoolhouse. The next year, the post office was established and the name “Gateway” was given to the town, as it is a gateway to Colorado from nearby Utah.

Gateway quickly became a strong community based around cattle ranching, farming and lumber milling. Later, uranium mining was the economic driver for the community. Today Gateway is becoming revitalized as it has opened its doors to the tourist community.

Activities
There are many reasons to visit Gateway Canyons. Surrounded by the vast lands of the Uncompahgre Plateau, Piñon Mesa and La Sal Mountains, you’ll find endless activities and adventures just outside your guest room door.

We encourage our guests to call ahead for the latest information on available activities and hours of operation, or to email our concierge. Some activities have a minimum age restriction, please see the individual activity listing for more information or inquire with the concierge.

Palisade Ranch
Experiences designed for the curious at heart. Daily guided scenic trail rides, cowboy lessons, cattle drives and customized options for the more avid rider. For safety reasons guests enjoying any of the full riding programs at Palisade Ranch must be 8 years of age or older.

At the Ranch, we’ll help you realize your cowboy or cowgirl ambitions by providing an authentic hands-on experience. Learn what it takes to earn the respect of an old school rancher by practicing the traditional skills used by range riders since the West was discovered.

The Ranch, which is located just a short distance from the resort, is spread over 500+ acres with a generous network of well-marked riding trails that climb to over 1,500 feet in elevation.

Our experienced guides will take you on an exploration of the base of the Uncompahgre Plateau, the surrounding picturesque desert and red rock canyons. Both beginners and advanced riders are welcome to enjoy the ride.

Horseback Riding
Palisade Ranch offers a variety of horseback activities for our guests. You can explore our trails through unique landscapes and enjoy beautiful scenic views as you ride among the wildlife, or learn basic horsemanship skills with our knowledgeable wranglers. For a little challenge, try your hand at a cowboy obstacle course.

Hiking & Climbing
Hike into the surrounding canyons and high desert Ponderosa Pine forests on expert led guided hikes or use our adventure maps for a self-guided experience of a lifetime. Whether heading out into the vast high-desert landscape or meandering along the resort grounds, you’ll find a hiking adventure to suit your interest and ability.

While here, take a leisurely hike through desert ranch land or get your heart pumping with a climb to the top of the Palisade for a spectacular view of the world. Expert led hiking tours are offered as half- and full-day journeys. Self-guided/hiking experiences are charted on adventure maps for guests.

Juanita Arch Hike
A favorite among Gateway Canyons staff, this is a multi-sport trip beginning with a canoe trip across the Dolores River. You’ll then cross through Maverick Canyon to Juanita Arch, a beautiful natural bridge.

This is rugged canyon country, with an out and back trip of about five miles taking 5 to 7 hours. Guides promise cool surprises along the way. This is a hike that will test your endurance.

Gateway Canyon Hikes
Traveling through the canyon for which Gateway Canyons is named, you will learn cultural and historical background of the area during this hike. Using game trails as their path, most of the hike is in open desert canyon terrain, with gradual elevation gains. Other popular hikes in the trail network include Lumsden Canyon and Cutler Trail.

Climbing
Experience the world class granite of Unaweep Canyon, one of Colorado’s best kept climbing secrets! Our climbing experience combines adventure with a mix of learning and excitement.

Experienced or not, be ready to challenge yourself on one of the canyon’s classic routes while our experienced guide creates a safe, spectacular and fun climbing experience of a lifetime.

Mountain Biking
Offered every day, these thrilling mountain bike rides test a variety of skill levels—all supported by our resort guides and adventure vehicles.  The immediate area hosts an ever-growing variety of single-track bike trails and old mining roads.

Bring your bikes and climb to spectacular vistas or cruise along flatter trails and roads. Either way, your experience will get your legs and lungs going! Rocky roads aren’t your thing, we’ve got some pretty cool cruisers available for the paved roads around the resort.

UTV Tours
Easily the most scenic and educational tour series offered at Gateway Canyons, experience the thrills of our UTV adventures. Trips are offered for two or four people per vehicle and average between 1.5 hours to 3 hours in length. Choose from rides to Dolores Point, Beaver Creek Homestead and Rattlesnake Point.

Gateway Auto Museum
The Museum is devoted to understanding, and celebrating, the history, design and social impact of the American automobile. It features many of the most prized and impeccably preserved historic cars in the country displayed in a unique gallery setting.

Highlights of the Museum
The presentation includes the one-of-a-kind 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 concept car, considered a rare American icon. Hendricks purchased this classic car in 2005, after intense auction bidding, for $3.25 million.

The collection begins with the 1906 Cadillac Model H Coupe and includes Duesenberg, Auburn, Cord, and Cunningham marques alongside rare models from Packard, Cadillac, Pierce Arrow and others.

Colorado Scenic Byways
Gateway Canyons is located on the Unaweep/Tabeguache Colorado Scenic Byway. This spectacular 133-mile long road runs around the Uncompahgre National Forest and along the Dolores River from Grand Junction, through Gateway and, finally, connects to Route 146 to Placerville.

As you travel through the heart of Unaweep Canyon, lush valley floors transform before your eyes into towering, granite mountaintops. Sparkling streams spill over canyon walls lined with cottonwoods and aspen.

The canyon then opens itself to Gateway Canyons, where West Creek and the Dolores River frame the towering red sandstone landmark — the Palisade. Nearby, 12,000-foot peaks of Utah’s La Sal Mountains fill the western horizon.

Grand Mesa, Uncompaghre and Gunnison National Forests.
We enjoy a prime location an easy drive to three of Colorado’s most popular national forests known collectively as the Grand Mesa, Uncompaghre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests. It is definitely worth the short drive to experience the splendor of these treasured public lands.

Recreational Activities
The GMUG National Forests provide a wide range of activities for over 2 million visitors a year. Some of the recreational pastimes include downhill and cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, off-roading, hunting, fishing, backcountry hiking, camping and mountain biking.

The forests, mineral and water resources, fisheries and wildlife are managed by five Forest Ranger Districts who preside over more than 3 million acres of land. There are over 3,000 miles of trails and routes available to the public.

Special Heritage Places
These National Forests offer a plethora of historical sites that include the Alpine Tunnel (a favorite among railway enthusiasts), ghost towns, North America’s highest fire lookout, historic cabins, forts, ranger stations and abandoned mines. There are also plenty of interpretive sites and displays to help visitors understand the backstory of this roughhewn territory.

Wildlife
The GMUG accommodates a wide assortment of wildlife with herds of elk totaling over 55,000, mule deer numbering over 150,000, as well as bighorn sheep, moose, lynx, black bears, mountain lions and many other mammals.

Bird watchers are particularly attracted to the GMUG as the forests act as both a year-round home and a stopover for migratory birds. The forests’ lakes, ponds and streams boast several varieties of trout, northern pike and other fish species.

Incredible Color, Scenery and Rock Formations
Arches National Park features a rugged landscape of intense colors, amazing natural rock formations and scenic vistas unlike anywhere else in the world. With over 75,000 acres in the Colorado Plateau of southeast Utah, this high desert showcases stunning red rock arches, pinnacles, spires and naturally balanced rock structures.

For Visitors of All Ages
There have been over 2,000 arches documented within the park boundaries. Many of these attractions are easily visible from the road, whereas there are plenty of hiking trails to allow the truly adventurous to see more. The park also offers ranger-led interpretive programs, guided hikes and a visitor center.

Scenic Drive
The Arches scenic drive allows visitors to experience several natural rock formations from the comfort of their own vehicle. The route also grants access to most of the popular trailheads and viewpoints overlooking prominent landmarks. Make it a short 1.5-hour tour or spend the whole day taking in the formidable sights.

The Unique Geology of Unaweep Canyon
Unaweep Canyon is a mere 15-minute drive from Gateway Canyons. The unique formation is the only example in the world of a canyon that has creeks flowing in opposite directions out of each end. The Unaweep Divide separates the East Creek, which flows into the Gunnison River, from the West Creek, which flows into the Dolores River.

The Climber’s Best Kept Secret
One of the greatest features of the canyons is that it offers 1,000 climbable routes. The sandstone and granite surfaces offer a wide array of climbing styles that range from small faces of a few feet to over 1,000 feet in height.

Despite the quality and diversity of the grades, the area gets little climbing traffic and rarely experiences congestion. Among experienced climbers, Unaweep Canyon is considered one of the country’s best kept secrets.

The Unaweep-Tabeguache Scenic and Historic Byway
The UTB passes through the amazing canyon country of the Colorado Plateau and offers visitors a scenic route to experience the archeological, cultural and historical treasures of populations dating back over 10,000 years. The Byway is 133 miles long and stretches from Whitewater, which is 40 miles northeast of the Gateway Canyons Resort, to Placerville.

Wine Tours
Let our concierge arrange a wine country tour for you. With both guided and self-guided options available, you’ll be able to visit a variety of wineries and taste the vintages that make this area so popular.

The Colorado Wine Room in Fruita is a great place to start your wine tour. Here you can sample a handful of wines from the around state. Or experience harvest time while tasting a variety of vintages from throughout the region at the Colorado Mountain Winefest, held in Palisade annually in September.

This is Colorado’s largest wine festival and offers a great opportunity to meet with winemakers and taste their vintages with beautiful late summer weather. Nearby Palisade wineries worth a visit include Grande River Vineyards, Colterris, La Maison Belle Vie, Carlson Vineyards. Also try Peach Street Distillers and Palisade Brewing.

Website: www.gatewaycanyons.com

Rooms: 38

Price: from 230 EUR per night