Entry No. 7 — the Durango file — filed under: roadside-oddity
Giant Arrows at the Hogan Trading Post
Somewhere, a giant missed. In 1981, trading post owner Bill Countess and a crew of local Native American artists tipped about a dozen telephone poles with arrowheads and fletching, then drove them into the dirt at 45 degrees beside US 160 — a volley caught mid-strike between painted teepees. The bait works: Harrison Ford, Delta Burke, and Ralph Lauren have all pulled over, and the arrows landed a cameo in Nurse Betty. Mesa Verde traffic never stood a chance.
The move: Pull off at golden hour, stage a dueling-archers photo under the plunging shafts, then step inside and pick out a piece of Navajo silver together.
📍 Before you go The arrows stand in the open on the trading post grounds right off US 160 just west of Mancos, with a wide gravel pull-in at the shop door — you can walk among them and shoot photos any time, even when the store is closed. Ground is flat dirt and gravel, a five-minute stop with no real walking. The trading post keeps loose daytime hours, so treat the shop as a bonus. Pair it with Mesa Verde a few miles west or coffee in downtown Mancos.
- 📍 Mancos
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 38651 US Hwy 160, Mancos, CO 81328 (about 4 miles east of the Mesa Verde entrance)
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3
last checked: 2026-06-11