26,624 acres
Description
The Palisade is named for the narrow fin of sandstone surrounded on all sides by vertical walls of Wingate Sandstone and capped with the carved slickrock of the Entrada Formation, just outside of Gateway. The area forms an ecological bridge between the red slickrock tributaries of the Dolores River and the lush aspen and ponderosa forests of Unaweep Canyon, encompassing many miles of the canyon’s rim. Unaweep Seep is an outstanding natural botanical display, and provides habitat for the rare Great Basin silverspot butterfly.