Spirit of the Southwest: Durango, Silverton & Pagosa Springs / COME TO LIFE sites, including the Mayflower Mill , Old Hundred Gold Mine and Silverton Museum and Jail . If you choose to extend your stay in Silverton, you have plenty of options for enjoying the surround-ing San Juan Mountains and the Weminuche Wilderness, including Jeep and OHV tours, rafting, horseback riding and hiking. Thanks to a wealth of historic and scenic 4x4 roads that lace through the surrounding San Juan Mountains, the area is incredibly popular for Jeep and ATV tours. Summer and fall offer glimpses into seldom-accessed fields of wildflowers and autumn color. Durango was named one of Outside Magazine ’s best new adventure hubs for its access to skiing, whitewater, fishing, hiking, byways and mountain-bike trails. Visit the town’s Main Street welcome center to find out how to access all that recreation. Just 40 minutes away, consider visiting Vallecito Lake , one of the state’s largest and most spectacular, with plenty of fishing, boating, hiking, jeeping, snowmo-biling and other activities. Back in Durango, consider taking in one of the town’s famous melodramas or other shows in the Victorian-era Henry Strater Theater or enjoying martinis served by saloon girls at the Diamond Belle (5) . During the summer, the historic Leland House and Rochester Hotel ’s (3) relaxing outdoor bar hosts a summer concert series. WINTER FUN T Purgatory just outside Durango is emerging as one of the nation’s top ski destinations, with afford-able packages and a low-key vibe that encour-ages vacation relaxation. Silverton Mountain is the state’s highest and steepest ski mountain, serving up un-groomed expert terrain for those who prefer skiing the old-school way, while families head to Kendall Mountain Ski Area . Just 23 miles from Pagosa Springs, visitors and locals alike flock to Wolf Creek Ski Resort to ski and ride “the most snow in Colorado,” with an average of 430 inches of natural (not manmade) snowfall per season. Beyond the slopes, Durango, Silverton and Pagosa Springs all take advantage of their deep San Juan Mountain powder with endless trails perfect for backcountry snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding and snowmobiling. 6 DAY 2 East of Durango, Pagosa Springs offers record-holding deep min-eral waters, used by The Springs Resort and Spa (known for a luxurious yet family-friendly feel), as well as Overlook Hot Springs and the Healing Waters Resort & Spa right in town. To the west, find Chimney Rock National Monument ’s otherworld-ly rock formations and Ancestral Puebloan history, or seek out Pagosa’s San Juan River (6) riches with rafting, kayaking and tubing — including a two-mile shuttle-served stretch with new features right in town — and fishing adventures, ATV tours, 2.5 million acres of wilderness and national forest, 650 miles of trails, the Wolf Creek Pass drive, waterfall and wildflower hikes and camping. In town, there’s a new climbing/ bouldering park and skate park, not to mention three craft breweries and a handful of great restaurants. STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Arboles (page 196), Bayfield (page 196), Durango (page 202), Ignacio , Pagosa Springs (page 210), Silverton (page 212), Vallecito Lake SIDETRIPS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: THE SPRINGS RESORT & SPA; PURGATORY RESORT; NAVAJO STATE PARK, CLASSIC VISIONS. Ignacio is a ranching community located in a long val-ley bordered by the La Plata Mountains. Today Ignacio supplies the adjacent Southern Ute Indian Reservation and ranches scattered throughout this remote area. The Southern Ute Tribe, a descendant of two of the seven original Ute tribes that inhabited Colorado, is headquartered just north of Ignacio, but its reservation spans more than 680,000 acres. The modern Sky Ute Casino Resort , one of the tribe’s economic mainstays, is very popular with visitors. The casino features gaming halls, hotel rooms and restaurants. Recreational spots include Navajo State Park , which provides ample opportunity to enjoy water sports — jet skiing, house boating, fishing — and the reservation’s top trout-fishing hole, Lake Capote . COLORADO.COM / 137
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2017: Page 137
