BLM · Colorado, Utah

McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area

The McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area (MCNCA) is a 123,400-acre (499 km2) National Conservation Area located in Mesa County, west of Grand Junction, Colorado. The MCNCA has rugged sandstone canyons, natural arches, spires, and alcoves carved into the Colorado Plateau, through which runs a 24-mile (39 km) stretch of the Colorado River. Included in the MCNCA is the 75,500-acre (306 km2) Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness (BRCW) with 5,200 acres (21 km2) extending into eastern Grand County, Utah at the MCNCA's western boundary.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Official page at Bureau of Land Management ↗
DesignationNational Conservation Area
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StatesColorado, Utah
Size124,157 acres
National Conservation Lands idNLCS000325
Center point39.13° N, 108.93° W
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 27)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.83 inches of precipitation, 6.2 inches of snowFebruary: 0.64 inches of precipitation, 3.9 inches of snowMarch: 0.94 inches of precipitation, 2.1 inches of snowApril: 1.11 inches of precipitation, 0.7 inches of snowMay: 1.17 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowJune: 0.65 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.79 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.01 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.29 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.26 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowNovember: 0.80 inches of precipitation, 2.8 inches of snowDecember: 0.75 inches of precipitation, 5.4 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 29.7°F averageFebruary: 34.9°F averageMarch: 44.6°F averageApril: 51.0°F averageMay: 61.1°F averageJune: 72.6°F averageJuly: 78.7°F averageAugust: 75.7°F averageSeptember: 66.9°F averageOctober: 53.4°F averageNovember: 40.7°F averageDecember: 30.4°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Colorado NM, 11 miles from the center point at 5,781 feet, station USC00051772 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 11 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 22 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

2 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 3 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Register listings within 15 miles · 19 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Guidebooks for Colorado

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Hiking Colorado's Western Slope
    Bill Haggerty, 2025
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Dog Hikes Colorado
    Emma Walker, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Easy Day Hikes Colorado Springs
    Stewart M. Green, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best wildflower hikes Colorado
    Chris Kassar, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best hikes Colorado's Indian Peaks Wilderness
    Kent Dannen, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area?

124,157 acres.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Bureau of Land Management

What state is McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area in?

The boundary crosses Colorado and Utah.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area?

Rules vary by unit. The BLM page has the current camping rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area?

A point inside the boundary is at 39.127° N, 108.929° W. Colorado National Monument is 3 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Bureau of Land Management

Which national parks are near McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area?

Colorado National Monument (3 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area?

The National Register has 19 listings within 15 miles, including Saddlehorn Comfort Station and Saddlehorn Utility Area Historic District.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the BLM National Conservation Lands layer.
  • States and territories: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons and coarse outlines of the territories and outlying islands. A place is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area. A boundary that touches no outline is listed under the nearest one.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.