La Plata County, Colorado

The drive from Durango to Ouray via Colorado 550 (The San Juan Skyway) is one of the most gorgeous roads in the country. The drive itself is worth your time, but if you have time be sure to make stops along the way at the many waterfalls, hiking trails, and lakes along the road. This drive passes...

The Million Dollar Highway in Southern Colorado is a scenic mountain drive with many beautiful sights.  Pinkerton hot springs is located on the side of the highway just outside of Durango, Colorado.  There is a small pullout area for parking with a plaque explaining the history of the area and th...

About a 45 minute drive east of Durango, sits the trailhead for the Piedra River Hot Springs. This free use, natural hot spring on the Piedra River has several 100 degree pools. The springs are accessible via a 3 mile roundtrip hike, often with wildlife sightings along the way. The hike to the ho...

Stop at the visitor center first then take your time walking the trails and exploring the different rooms, especially the great house. This National Monument is a Unesco World Heritage site.

Adrenaline Falls is a popular spot for the locals to swim and relax during the warm summer months.  The pool at the bottom of the falls is deep and popular for cliff jumping.  To get to the waterfall, turn onto the North access to Lime Creek road.  A high clearance 4x4 vehicle is recommended to ...

Morefield Campground is located 4 miles inside of Mesa Verde National Park. There are 267 sites in the campground, and it has tent-only loops. There are also 15 full-hookup RV sites, with many more able to fit RVs. Reservations are recommended, but are not required; the full-hookup sites are the ...

Little Molas Lake Campground is about 1 mile off of US Highway 550 on Molas Pass just North of and on the other side of the highway from the Molas Overlook. Pro-tip: there is also another campground nearby called Molas Lake Park & Campground, so it's important to distinguish which you are hea...

To hike this section of the Colorado Trail, you'll begin from the Little Molas Lake Campground at around 10,895-ft. Little Molas Lake Campground is about 1 mile off of US Highway 550 on Molas Pass just North of and on the other side of the highway from the Molas Overlook, which is just South of S...

The Knife Edge Trail leaves from a small parking lot located in Morefield Campground in Mesa Verde National Park. It's definitely an easy trail, but it is perfect for the entire family. It offers an unhindered view westward, so it is a prime place to catch the sunset in the park, especially if yo...

Tickets for this tour are $4 per person and are available at the visitor center near the entrance of the park. This tour is best taken from April to November. This hike features The milky way is often visible from the top of Mesa Verde at night.  This one-hour, ranger-guided tour involves climbin...

The 6-mile Mesa Top Loop Road, open 8 am to sunset, stops at 12 sites including surface ruins and cliff dwelling overlooks. The most famous feature of the park, Cliff Palace, is visible from the Sun Point and Sun Temple overlooks. Sunrise photography isn't possible on the loop due to operating ho...

The Spruce Canyon trail is very well taken care of. The trail begin with a descent into Spruce Tree Canyon and then follows a stream for 3/4 of a mile before climbing a side canyon back up to the ridge. The trailhead is located on the Chapin Mesa within Mesa Verde National Park. The trail is open...

Pick up a trail brochure for information on the interpretive signs. There are some steep and narrow portions of the trail, so make sure everyone in your party is of able physical capability. 

While the Animas River runs for miles in the San Juan National Forest, a beautiful (and accessible) stretch runs right through Silverton, CO. Here, you can fish, hike, or chill. The river is fast with very few pockets for the trout to hide; however, if you search around enough, you'll find a fish...

From the Ice Lakes basin Trailhead, this 8 mile round trip trail with 3000 feet of elevation gain will bring you to the Ice Lakes Basin with an abundance of beautiful lakes, especially Island Lake and Ice Lake. We camped on a little shelf above Island Lake, but you can camp anywhere you find a ni...

Begin by hiking the Ice Lakes Trail for 3.5 miles, which will take you to Ice Lake. From here, you can identify the obvious, delta-shaped mountain to climber's left, known as Fuller Peak (13,761ft). Hike cross country, directly toward the base of the North Ridge (right skyline), walking past Full...