Towaoc

In 1895 the Weeminuche band of Utes established a camp on the western end of the old Southern Ute Reservation, at a spot now known as Towaoc, where the Ute Mountain Ute reservation administration offices are located. The Ute Indians have lived in the region for several centuries. The present 597,000-acre reservation was formed in 1897. The Ute Mountain Utes and the Southern Utes in Ignacio are the only tribes remaining in Colorado today. Many Ute Mountain Utes speak their native language as well as English. Tribal census records show that during the 1990s, the largest part of the tribal membership were only in their early twenties and younger.

Today, the Ute Mountain Utes struggle to enjoy a modern lifestyle, while retaining traditional customs. The annual Bear Dance, held in Towaoc for over 100 years, takes place on the reservation each spring. Gambling at the tribal casino provides work and economic flow for the some members of tribe's population of about 1,600. Near the casino is a recreational vehicle park that is almost a destination for visitors in and of itself, providing high-end amenities and accommodations.

Some visitors also seek exposure to the tribe's history and culture which they have an opportunity to experience by touring with tribal guides to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Heritage Park. The park is located just south of Mesa Verde and offers remote day-long treks to ancestral Puebloan ruins that rival the National Park's. The Utes are not considered to be descendants of the people also known as the Anasazi, who abandoned the area around 1300 AD. Hundreds of archaeological sites dot the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation forming what is considered one of the highest concentrations of such ruins anywhere in the world.

Ute Mountain Ute Website
Ute Mountain Ute History