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Driving the Mountains
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A companion trip to the Ouray/Durango run will get you back to your starting point without any back-tracking, or can be done on a separate day. Going west on US160 from Durango you’ll pass Mesa Verde National Park. To appreciate this properly requires at least a separate day. However, twenty-eight miles from Durango, turn right on CO184 to Dolores, then go north on CO145. This paved road follows the scenic Dolores River, climbing ever upward. Two tiny towns along the route, Rico and Ophir, offer opportunities for food, drink, and fuel. Mt. Wilson, at 14,246 ft. lies on your left as you climb up Lizard Head Pass (10,222 ft.). Descending from the pass, you can turn right on a well-marked highway for four miles into Telluride. Telluride used to be another old authentic mining town. It’s now an Aspen wannabee (ptui!). If you stay on CO145 to CO62, another pleasant 23 miles of scenery over Dallas Divide will bring you to Ridgway, a short distance north of Ouray. Another gem in the San Juans is the drive on Colorado Route 149 from South Fork to Lake City. The portion from South Fork to Creede follows the Rio Grande River which, here, is a rushing mountain stream. The road winds through a heavily forested country in a relatively narrow valley. Twenty-two miles north of South Fork you have the option of turning into another old mining relic, Creede. All of my comments about Silverton in the preceding paragraph apply equally to Creede. You'll like it. The Bachelor Mine Loop Road here will take you through fascinating old mining relics but it's a bit rough for a regular sedan. Once you leave Creede the road heads up a wide valley and a side road would take you to the headwaters of the Rio Grande. Then you start climbing up Spring Creek Pass (10,901 ft.). Just before the pass, on a high plateau, a road forks off to the right and less than a mile on that road there is a turnout to a viewpoint of the surprisingly fierce and high Clear Creek Falls.. Back on CO149, you continue on up Slumgullion Pass (11,361 ft.). As you start the descent you'll see a scenic turnoff where you should stop for an unforgettable panorama of some of the highest peaks in the San Juan Range. The road descends into picturesque old Lake City with periodic views of Lake San Cristobal to your left. In 74 miles, plus side jaunts, you'll have traveled on good paved roads through the heart of the San Juans. There you have it – three half-day trips on paved roads, maintained all year around, in one of the state’s most beautiful mountain ranges. In the winter, though, check locally, for road conditions as there may be closures of several hours or more due to snow accumulation or avalanche danger. When the aspens change to golden in mid to late September the scenery is enhanced even further, but any month has a beauty of its own.. There are at least two other mountain ranges in Colorado which warrant a place in your heart. First, the Sawatch Range near Buena Vista is locally called the Collegiate Range (for Mounts Princeton, Harvard and Yale). This range, plus the country west to the Elk Mountains, provides the most spectacular wildflower displays in the high country in mid-July as well as mountain grandeur. Secondly, the Sangre de Cristo Range runs north and south, starting from Salida on the north and it continues, with some interruptions, all the way into New Mexico. You’ll enjoy several peaks over 14,000 ft. high and good scenic valley roads parallel both sides of the range. On the west side, don’t miss the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. No, you don’t have to go four-wheel-driving to see great scenery. I’ll bet, though, that after you’ve taken a few of these trips, you’ll surely want to see a lot more of Colorado’s hidden treasures, even if the road IS bumpy. Copyright © 1998 Lyle Bungart More on the San Juans
Lyle is a bona-fide mountain nut of some 74 years
standing. Having first gazed in awe at the Rocky Mountains during a brief posting in
Colorado Springs in 1942, he returned frequently. Some of these trips were Questions about planning a similar trip? Comments for
the author? Would you like to add an article about your travel experiences in Europe? It's easy to do. Our Favorites Trip Tips and Tools Published July 10, 1998 The Not-For-Profit Site For Your
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