San Juan Mountains are in the southwestern corner of Colorado and include the towns of; Telluride, Ouray and Silverton. They are rugged and have a number of 14ers. Initially gold and silver were the attraction, now outdoor activities and tourism are the main draw.
Telluride, San Juan Mountains
Telluride was founded in 1878 and sits in a box canyon. Mining gradually disappeared and by the 1960’s, hippies had discovered it.
Skiing took off in the 70’s. Drugs and elitism were the attraction in the 80’s and 90’s. Now, the town is expensive but there are numerous festivals, outstanding bars and restaurants, and year-round activities.
We had lunch at an authentic Mexican restaurant with nice views of the aspen.
Just outside of town was a large herd of 20-30 elk with a large male bugling.
Priest Gulch Campground, Dolores, San Juan Mountains
We backed up to the Dolores River in a steep canyon in the San Juan Mountains. The sound of the river was amazing to sleep too. The only problem was that the steep canyon blocked a lot of sunlight. Nighttime temperatures were in the thirties.
Priest Gulch had 50-amp electric, good water pressure and sewer. The internet was mostly fast enough to stream. Our Verizon signal was only 3G. Jake enjoyed his daily walks here.
Up the road is the town of Rico. Michael stopped at Fireweed café for coffee and a muffin after a nice hike with Jake in the aspens.
It is a beautiful drive from Ouray to Telluride to Dolores. The aspen were in peak fall foliage.
A beautiful stop to take in the view of the San Juan Mountains.
Mesa Verde National Park
We have been here numerous times over the years. The ruins are amazing, but the National Park Service was doing construction, which closed one of the loops, closed a cafeteria, and closed seeing the cliff dwellings up close…classic NPS.
The ruins are incredible and are a must see including nearby Hovenweep and Canyon de Chelly.
Lunch in Cortez at Main St. Brewery was okay at best but you don’t know until you try it. Their beers, menu, and ambience all needed a “Bar Rescue”.
