First inhabited around 270BC, this expansive rockshelter was where the earliest corn discovered in Colorado was found. It was officially recorded on September 11, 1996, and was first excavated by Clarence T. Hurst in 1947. This cave revealed a hidden stash of corn that was subsequently dated using radiocarbon methods. At this site, known as Cottonwood Cave, the team led by Hurst could only conduct limited excavations due to the strain of daily treks between their base camp and the distant cave. They discovered pictographs and petroglyphs adorning the cave walls and unearthed numerous Basketmaker artifacts in a well-preserved state, including cured deer skin, baskets, and two distinct styles of yucca-leaf footwear. Their most significant find was a bundle positioned thirty inches beneath the surface in a garbage heap. Constructed out of strips of juniper bark and divided yucca leaves, the oval-shaped bundle housed fourteen complete ears of corn and almost a gallon of dehusked corn. Given the immaculate state of the corn, Hurst theorized that it was likely seed corn or a ritualistic offering rather than a stockpile of food.