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Delta, Colorado
Population: 8,135
Located in Delta County
Delta, Colorado
Delta is a nice cozy town, with many friendly people. Here the cowboys are real, the Indians share the traditions the people are down home friendly and the views are inspiring. Scenic Delta is situated just west of Black Canyon of the Gunnison, where the 2,900-foot gorges carved by the snaking Gunnison River will leave you breathless.
This town of approximately 8,000 residents has all the amenities, including several grassy city parks. Keep your eyes peeled: seven buildings downtown act as canvasses for local artists: murals depicting the local economy, history and the natural surroundings. Another town symbol at the entrance to Delta is Ute Council Tree, an 85-foot cottonwood, once a gathering point for tribal discussions. Today the tree symbolizes the growing connections between Colorado Utes and the Western Slope's other residents.
Community
Pick up a recent issue of Forbes and you'll see the North Fork Valley under a heading "Real Escapes - Make Delta County, Colorado, your next second address". Or take a look at Rand McNally's Places Rated Retirement Guide, Delta has been rated in the top one-third of communities for climate, housing, health care, personal safety, economics and recreation.
Delta is a great place to visit and a wonderful place to live. It is a small, rural agricultural community, but not so small that you have to go out of town to obtain the "necessities of life."
Education
The schools in the Delta are part of Delta County Joint School District #50, a district which encompasses 15 elementary, middle and high schools, as well as a vocational-technical center.
Four schools can be found in Delta itself: Garnet Mesa Elementary (grades K-5), Lincoln Elementary (grades K-5), Delta Middle (grades 6-8) and Delta High School (grades 9-12). An academic program, which offers the option for students to take part one-to three-day courses in subjects if interest to them. Frequently these academies provide an opportunity for students to travel outside the county to visit zoos, museums, historically significant locations, and other sites of interest. Innovative technology labs in the middle and high schools and Discovery Centers in the elementary schools, take students beyond the traditional classroom into a world of integrated, hands-on learning.
The Delta-Montrose Vocational Technical Center provides a wide range of opportunities for postsecondary academic studies and career preparation; also, for the training and retraining opportunities. Vo-tech students represent all ages, with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Occupational programs include farm/ranch management, ag/industrial mechanics, cosmetology, electric's, criminal justice, business occupations, technical drafting, nursing, EMT and basic skills. Degree programs emphasize job skills and include general education course work.
Art & Culture
Each September the Council Tree Pow Wow American Indian Cultural Festival is held at Confluence Park. From the first drum beat until the last ceremony, your heart will embrace the dance, colors sounds, and cultural pageantry that is Pow Wow.
The City of Murals, Delta now has 20 buildings and sites on the local, state and national historic register. On several buildings you can view murals depicting local scenes by local artists.
Housed in an old firehouse, the Delta County Museum recounts the Western Slope's cultural heritage and natural history. The butterfly exhibit contains some of the only-known specimens from now extinct species. Step through time into the Fort Uncompahgre Living History Museum at the entrance to the 265-acre Confluence Park, where authentically garbed interpreters guide visitors through an old fur trading post.
Just outside Delta, dinosaur buffs should make tracks to Dry Mesa Quarry, the site where archeologists first discovered Brachiosaurus and Ultrasaurus bones. This dig-in-process is open to the public.
Parks & Recreation
Our community features an 18-hole golf course, Devil's Thumb Golf Club You will be sure to enjoy the benefits of the Bill Heddles Recreation Center that complements Confluence Park, an outdoor recreation and fitness park.
Located 15 miles east of Montrose, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison is the only canyon in North America that combines the narrow opening, sheer walls, and startling depths. There are multiple overlooks for sightseeing and a road to the bottom of the canyon.
Located on the Uncompahgre National Forest, Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry is one of the most famous dinosaur localities in the world. Seventeen different genera of dinosaurs have been discovered at this site since 1971, as well as a number of other fossils, including pterosaurs, birds, crocodiles, fishes and mammals.
The Grand Mesa National Forest is the world's largest flat-top mountain, transcending a mile above the surrounding Colorado and Gunnison Rivers. The mesa was formed as lava seeped upward through fissures in the earth 10 million years ago. If you enjoy the snow, Grand Mesa is just a short distance to the north, offering ice fishing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. In the summer, over 200 trout-filled lakes beckon fishermen. Hiking trails, mountain biking and four-wheeling can also be enjoyed atop the Grand Mesa National Forest.
Source: deltacolorado.org
Photo Source: deltaschools.com, fs.fed.us and Roger Bower
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