Camping suggestion for Colorado's San Juan Scenic Byway

[Superdawg]

We are trying to decide where to take the three kids (ages 5-11) on a summer trip the first two weeks of August. We are looking for fun things to do with the kids. We like fishing and hiking and want some different things to do.

I was wondering if anyone has taken the San Juan Scenic Byway, a 236 mile loop above Durango. We will have the truck and trailer. Hookups are nice but not needed every night.

We are driving from southern California. I am open to suggestions on other places but not much farther than Colorado due to the cost of fuel.

We've done the south rim Grand Canyon and Sedona not too long ago.



thanks in advance

Tom

 

[Jeff Knight]

I don't know about camping areas but Mesa Verdes around Durango is a great place to visit. The Cliff Dwellings are great to see. You can hike down to the one buy the visitors center. Its amazing how people survived back in those days.



Jeff

 

[JMDancoe]

Superdawg: Jeff is right about Mesa Verdes (I am now related to some of the first people to go in there). But in general, if it is Colorado, you will enjoy it. I go there every summer. My brother has a home in South Fork (east of Wolf Creek Pass on Hwy 160). If you enjoy outdoors, there is plenty to do. I have never done the San Juan trip, but plan to.
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86 / 92 Retrofitted Cummins w/auto 2WD 246,000 miles - 96 Ram 1500 short bed 318 w/auto 4WD 307,000 miles - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4. 0 w/auto 4WD 160,000 miles

 

[BarryG]

Mesa Verde is a must stop. You can hike down to to Spruce Tree house without a ticket or a guide. There is also Cliff Palace, Balcony House and Long House. You need a ticket for those. Tickets are just a few bucks. For Cliff Palace they have a special tour in the evening. It cost a bit more but is limited to a smaller group and there is no one behind you pushing the tour forward. It is lead in theme. The one we went on the theme was the CCC. The ranger was in costume and all the info given was from the ccc period. It was great. He did follow up at the end with updated info.

Mesa Verde National Park - Evening Programs (U. S. National Park Service) twilight tour



Camping in the park and jsut outside the park.



Durango you have the Durango Silverton train. You can bus up train back, train up bus back, train both ways. Beautiful ride.

Home | Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Train

Many camping options.



Also several campgrounds up by and at Molas Lake area. Absolutely beautiful up there. Fishing hiking etc.



You have the alpine loop , 4x4 is a great idea but it is not hardcore. Drop trailer and go for it.

Alpine Loop Home Page



Hot Springs in Ouray. Camping in and around there.



Once you get up to Ridgeway you are not far from Montrose which is not far from Black Canyon of the Gunnison NM. There is a road that cuts over Owl Creek Pass that puts you out on US 50 just east of Black Canyon. Great scenerey and some nice hiking on the West Fork of the Cimarron, Middle Fork of the Cimarron river and east Fork of the Cimarron River. Silver Jack Resevoir has a decent campground (no hookups) but better check it out online to make sure your rig will fit in it. Or just take the Highway to Montrose and then US50 east to Black Canyon. Camoping in the park and nearby.



Obviously Telluride is worth the short side trip. Rico historic mining area. Some quick internet searching will give you ideas for that area as well as camping locations.



Also Canyonlands NP Needles District and Moab (Arches NP, Canyonlands NP Island in the Sky District and Dead Horse Point State Park) are about 120 miles from Cortez. Well worth seeing any of those areas.

Canyonlands National Park - Needles (U. S. National Park Service)

Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky (U. S. National Park Service)

Arches National Park (U. S. National Park Service)

Dead Horse Point State Park | Utah.com

Camping abounds in these areas just do some research for your needs.



If you like hiking there is lots of it. If you like fishing there is lots of it. If you like eyeball busting scenery there is lots of that too.



Depending on your route to and from - Monument Valley is cool. If your route goes through/close to Page, Arizona Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon is great.

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Also use above link for Antelope canyon look for it onteh website

antelope canyon - Google Search



Hopefully this will give you some ideas to look at and investigate to see what will fit for you and your family.

 

[JMDancoe]

Barry G: I nominate you for Colorado Tour Guide Extraordinaire. Wow! After that, If ole Superdawg can't find enough to do, he needs to give up. Great Job!
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86 / 92 Retrofitted Cummins w/auto 2WD 254,000 miles - 96 Ram 1500 short bed 318 w/auto 4WD 320,000 miles - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4. 0 w/auto 4WD 200,000 miles

 

[Grizzly]

A drive up from Durango to Silverton, over the 12,000 foot Red Mountain Pass, Ouray and Telluride are well worth the trip.



Another great adventure not far from Durango is the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad in Chama, New Mexico. Click here Narrow Gauge Railroad The scenery is un-surpassed winding in and out of NM and the Colorado state line. In my opinion it is better and more scenic than the narrow gauge railroad from Durango to Silverton, plus you get a great lunch at the mid point.



george

 

[TLane]

I've really enjoyed staying at Priest Gulch campground, just south of Rico, Co.



Welcome to Priest Gulch Campground Along the Dolores River



If you want to stay there, you probably need to make reservations NOW, as they fill up quickly, especially the nice sites on the river.





I've also stayed at Lightner Creek Campground, but it's been a few years ago. They were a very nice place to stay, just west of Durango. The campground was for sale, so I don't know if it has new owners now.



Camping in Durango, Colorado: Camp Lightner Creek RV Park & Cabins

 

[BIGNASTY]

Havilian Lake camp ground is a REALLY PRETTY campground 18 miles from Durango the lake is picture perfect and the surrounding area is great the Druango/Silverton railroad is a must take it both ways its really nice. Ill put up some pics of our trip there. If there is anything we can do to help your trip let us know I will dig up some pics of the same trip that you are planning and put them up



BIG

 

[Regcabguy]

Havilian Lake camp ground is a REALLY PRETTY campground 18 miles from Durango the lake is picture perfect and the surrounding area is great the Druango/Silverton railroad is a must take it both ways its really nice. Ill put up some pics of our trip there. If there is anything we can do to help your trip let us know I will dig up some pics of the same trip that you are planning and put them up



BIG

Is that soot you're smelling all the way up the mt. or just a short interval?

 

[BIGNASTY]

Didn't really understand the soot? but ya I like the smells and sounds of old equipment Trains/horses/wagons/ we as a people are to soft and I for one dont really like the new things. Ya we have new - er cars and trucks but we both like to do things in the way of the past. Neither is wrong just different. We dont have to worry to much about the nasty things of life like watching your weight,cholesterol,PSE,blood pressure, and we dont have to take sleeping pills,, most nites I cant remember my head hitting the pillow :-laf funny in years gone buy we never had such things so whats the difference? WE GOT SOFT AND QUITE WORKING AND TOOK THE EASY WAY JMO



BIG

 

[Grizzly]

Big, have you ever been on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Narrow Gauge Railroad in Chama, New Mexico?

 

[BIGNASTY]

No when we went to Durnago Silverton railway we talked to a couple that had and thought about going. By the sounds of what they said its a nice trip also.

 

[Superdawg]

Wow. I asked and you delivered. I love this place! I second the nomination for BarryG for tour extrordinaire/ambassador to Colorado. It's going to take me a while to go through these suggestions.

Please, keep them coming. Thank you.

Before kids, my wife and I drove the Ouray to Durango route and took the train to Silverton. It was fantastic.

 

[GHarman]

Fishing

When you are in Durango, Try this Lake! 18 Miles from Durango. GregH



About Vallecito Lake Reservoir

 

[Grizzly]

I agree with GHarman on Vallecitos.



Another great place, not far from Durango, is Pagosa Springs. Great place for mineral baths. click here

 

[Jeepr]

If you find yourself a little further east, this place is awesome Welcome to Taylor Park Trading Post It's more remote and very quiet. If you have an ATV you can ride for days without ever loading it up... they rent them there also.

 

[BIGNASTY]

The route we took from So Ca was 15 N to 70 E to Grand Junction to 50 S to Black Canyon of the Gunnison Nat Park back to 550 S to Durango area to Mesa Verde Nat Park to Grand Canyon Nat Park back to So Cal

 

[Buffalo]

I'm not a fisherman but, If I were, I would stop & camp along the Dolores River just E. of Dolores, CO. (heading towards Telluride). That area looked just beautiful, to me.



In downtown Durango, there is a sporting goods store called Gardenschwartz that is well worth the visit for information & just to look at the fish & wildlife trophy mounts hanging on the walls. They told me that the McPhee Res. just N/W of Dolores was a good place to fish.



Haviland Lake is stunningly beautiful. I camped there with an old service buddy of mine & in the morning, the sun was shining on the mountains just W. of the lake. It was in Oct. & all the leaves were changing. The oak brush & aspens were so colorful & they reflected in the mirror finish on the lake. It was like "color overload". I've never seen anything like that since.



That part of CO. is so beautiful & you will never see it all. If you enjoy this trip, plan another one.



Also, the Durango-Silverton Railroad trip is fantastic. I've done it twice & would do it again in a heartbeat. I recommend taking the train, both ways. You see the same thing but, in different light & from different directions. It seems like two separate trips. Not like you're seeing the same thing, again. In Silverton, you get off the train for lunch & some sightseeing or shopping. Great time!!!



If you have the time to walk around the old downtown Durango, do so. Step into some of the old hotels. They are beautiful. Lots of neat stuff to see.



It really is hard to beat the beautiful scenery of that part of CO.



Joe F.

 

[sarj]

You have the alpine loop , 4x4 is a great idea but it is not hardcore. Drop trailer and go for it.

Alpine Loop Home Page

,,,

Hey Barry, a quick question on this loop. I'm seeing mixed ratings on this loop. I run a built CJ on trails most 4x4's don't belong, so I know what a tough trail looks like & how to run it. Is this loop hard on the truck, or just some rough road? Mine's a shortbed w/ KORE & bilsteins. I don't mind lowering the tires since I carry air, but I was wondering how you'd rate the trail for a heavy truck as opposed to what a respectable jeep runs with out getting beat up.

 

[Bill Stockard]

I'm not a fisherman but, If I were, I would stop & camp along the Dolores River just E. of Dolores, CO. (heading towards Telluride). That area looked just beautiful, to me.



In downtown Durango, there is a sporting goods store called Gardenschwartz that is well worth the visit for information & just to look at the fish & wildlife trophy mounts hanging on the walls. They told me that the McPhee Res. just N/W of Dolores was a good place to fish.



Haviland Lake is stunningly beautiful. I camped there with an old service buddy of mine & in the morning, the sun was shining on the mountains just W. of the lake. It was in Oct. & all the leaves were changing. The oak brush & aspens were so colorful & they reflected in the mirror finish on the lake. It was like "color overload". I've never seen anything like that since.



That part of CO. is so beautiful & you will never see it all. If you enjoy this trip, plan another one.



Also, the Durango-Silverton Railroad trip is fantastic. I've done it twice & would do it again in a heartbeat. I recommend taking the train, both ways. You see the same thing but, in different light & from different directions. It seems like two separate trips. Not like you're seeing the same thing, again. In Silverton, you get off the train for lunch & some sightseeing or shopping. Great time!!!



If you have the time to walk around the old downtown Durango, do so. Step into some of the old hotels. They are beautiful. Lots of neat stuff to see.



It really is hard to beat the beautiful scenery of that part of CO.



Joe F.

Joe,



You just reminded me why my wife and I have spent so much time in CO for the past almost 45 years beginning with our honeymoon, 20th, and 25th wedding anniversary, vacation time, and after our retirement weeks at a time. Fortunately, the drive was only a day and a half away.



Bill