Afterwards, the Utes were known to live around Del Norte and the rest of the San Luis Valley, going back hundreds of years prior to Euro-American contact.

They lived here temporarily in the warmer months because of the abundance of wild game, plants, water, and timber in the area – winters were often too cold and harsh for them to settle permanently.

Spanish and Mexican peoples were the first non-natives to explore the nearby land, coming from Santa Fe and other parts of New Mexico.

[citation needed] The most successful early settlement nearby was called 'La Loma', established a few miles east of where the current town site is today.

[citation needed] Del Norte would see cycles of boom and bust throughout the 20th century, but has recently become a blossoming community, due to the abundance of recreational activities provided by the area's unique geography, such as mountain biking, hiking, running, rock climbing, fishing, hunting, rafting and kayaking, cross country skiing, camping, etc.

Grande Avenue, the main street through Del Norte, still has many of the facades on its storefronts from the 1800s and early 1900s, reminding its residents and tourists of the town's historic past.

Due to its location on the western edge of the valley, a variety of climates, vegetation regions, and ecosystems transition into each other at or around Del Norte.

[4] Like most places in the San Luis Valley, Del Norte is generally categorized in a semi-arid or a high-altitude desert climate.

One reason precipitation varies greatly year-to-year is because the town is located in a rain shadow created by the San Juan Mountains.

In general, one can expect in Del Norte to experience mild summers and cold winters, with spring and autumn varying between these.

During summer monsoons, the area generally experiences sunny mornings with clouds and storms moving in during the afternoon, and varying amounts of precipitation ranging from light drizzles of rain to brief, torrential downpours.

Like most of Colorado, night time temperatures can drop quickly and intensely, because of the dry climate and the lack of moisture in the air.