Mancos State Park, State park in Mancos, Colorado, US.

Mancos State Park is a protected area near the La Plata Mountains covering 553 acres with a reservoir for water recreation. The park offers multiple campsites, picnic areas, and hiking trails throughout its grounds.

Ancestral Puebloans lived in the Four Corners area, including this land, from about AD 1 to 1300. Spain later controlled the region for 200 years, from the 17th to the 19th century. In 1948 the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation commissioned the Jackson Gulch Dam, and the park joined the Colorado state parks system in 1987.

The Mancos River's name is often traced to Spanish explorers who called it "el río de los Mancos," referring to a wounded hand or arm among the party. The park takes its name from the river and the nearby town of Mancos. Visitors today see the name on signs at the park entrance and along the West Mancos Trail.

The park operates with day passes available from October through May when the visitor center is closed during off-season. Plan your visit around these operating periods and check local conditions since weather in the mountains can change quickly.

The Jackson Gulch Dam was commissioned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1948, and the resulting reservoir still supplies irrigation water to local farms while also serving park visitors. The park itself was only added to the Colorado state park system in 1987.