Rico, Colorado

I've been visiting Telluride, CO for the last 20 years, and I'd never once heard of this place. Mystic Falls is not marked on any map I've ever seen. And even some locals seem to have never heard of it. So I feel like I lucked out on this last trip to Telluride when a friend found a blog post and...

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 ...

Ophir Pass (el. 11,114’), officially known as Forest Service Road #630, is one of the easiest of the high alpine trails in the San Juan mountains, but still can provide trouble to the inexperienced or when bad weather is present, particularly on the western/Ophir downhill side. The pass and road ...

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...

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...

The road to Clear Lake offers wonderful views of the South Fork Mineral Creek, and the San Juan Mountains. Some people make the 9-mile round-trip hike with 2,600 feet of elevation gain, others drive as far as their vehicle will allow and hike from there, and some make the drive all the way up. It...

Alta Ghost Town is located about 10 miles from Telluride on Alta Lakes Road. Take the rugged dirt road approximately 2 miles until the ghost town appears on the left. Hike up the short trail to view the remnants of the old mining town with many of the buildings still standing, including the impre...

Note: Camping is permitted around the lake. There are approximately 20 undeveloped campsites. For more information, head to the US Forest Service website. Camping Facilities20 campsites that are completely undevelopedCamping is permitted at only the designated campsitesPortable toilets are avail...

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 trail begins at the south end of Pine Street in Telluride, and proceeds 2.5 miles up the Bear Creek Canyon trail with an elevation gain of about 1,000'.Be sure to stay to the left at the divide with the Wasatch Trail.At the waterfall there is a small use trail that contours up to the right an...

Only 5 minutes from the center of Telluride, Cornet Creek Falls is the perfect hike for those seeking a serene mountain escape without having to go far away from the center of all the action.From town, head up North Aspen Street towards the Jud Wiebe Trailhead. Once arrived, continue straight up ...

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...

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...

Black Bear Pass (el. 12,840’), officially known as Forest Service Road 648, is an infamous 4WD road that runs between U.S. Highway 550 (between Silverton & Ouray) and Telluride, CO. From the pass downhill through the Ingram Basin to Telluride, the road is one-way and features switchbacks and ...

Corkscrew Gulch is named for the narrow and winding switchbacks that "corkscrewes" up Red Mountain Two. It is hard to miss this area of the San Juan Mountains, because the deep reds, oranges, and yellows blanket all three of the named "Red Mountains". The red color in the mountains is caused by o...