Colorado What To Do›Regions›Southwest & San Juans
Southwest Colorado & The San Juans
Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings, a steam train through a river gorge, old mining towns at the end of box canyons, and one of the most dramatic mountain roads in the country.
What is there to do in southwest Colorado?
Southwest Colorado's highlights are Mesa Verde National Park's cliff dwellings near Cortez, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, the Million Dollar Highway between Silverton and Ouray, the hot springs and ice park in Ouray, Telluride and its free gondola, the San Juan Skyway loop, and the four-wheel-drive Alpine Loop between Lake City, Silverton and Ouray.
The San Juan Mountains are the youngest-looking, steepest range in Colorado, and the towns tucked into them still feel like the mining camps they were built as.
This corner of the state is a long way from Denver, about six to seven hours by car, so most visitors fly into Durango or Montrose or fold it into a longer road trip. It rewards the effort. In a few days you can walk into an 800-year-old village, ride a coal-fired train, soak in hot springs below 13,000-foot peaks, and drive a highway that is famous for its lack of guardrails.
Mesa Verde
Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park, east of Cortez, protects thousands of archaeological sites left by the Ancestral Pueblo people, including some of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in North America. Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling on the continent.
Plan around three facts:
- The famous dwellings require ranger-led tours. Cliff Palace, Balcony House, Long House and Square Tower House are visited only on ticketed tours. In 2026 the tour season ran from May 4 to October 21, and tickets were released on Recreation.gov 14 days in advance at 8 a.m. Mountain Time. They sell out quickly.
- You can still see a lot without a tour. The Mesa Top Loop Road has overlooks of cliff dwellings, including views across the canyon to Cliff Palace, and pithouse and village sites you can walk to. The Spruce Tree House overlook and the museum are on Chapin Mesa.
- It is a big park. The drive from the entrance to the main sites on Chapin Mesa takes close to an hour on a winding road.
Nearby, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and Hovenweep National Monument protect more Ancestral Pueblo sites with far fewer visitors.
Durango and Silverton
Durango And The Narrow Gauge Railroad
Durango is the region's largest town, with a historic Main Avenue, the Animas River running through town and easy access to rafting, mountain biking and Purgatory ski resort to the north.
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has run between the two towns since 1882. The full trip follows the Animas River through a narrow gorge to Silverton, an old mining town at about 9,300 feet, with a layover before the return. Many riders take the train one way and a bus the other. In winter the train runs a shorter route into Cascade Canyon. Seasons and schedules change, so check the railroad's site.
U.S. 550
The Million Dollar Highway
The stretch of U.S. 550 between Silverton and Ouray, about 25 miles over Red Mountain Pass at 11,018 feet, is known as the Million Dollar Highway. It is part of the larger San Juan Skyway, a scenic byway loop through Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Ridgway, Telluride, Dolores and Cortez.
The road is paved and well maintained, but it has steep drop-offs, tight curves and few guardrails. Drive it in daylight, take your time, and use the pullouts so faster local traffic can pass. In winter, it is subject to avalanche closures and chain laws.
Ouray and Ridgway
Ouray: Hot Springs And Ice Climbing
Ouray sits in a steep-walled valley at the foot of Red Mountain Pass and calls itself the Switzerland of America. In town:
- Ouray Hot Springs Pool, a large municipal hot springs pool with views of the surrounding peaks.
- Box Canyon Falls, a short walk into a narrow slot where a waterfall thunders through the rock.
- The Ouray Ice Park, a canyon of farmed ice that becomes one of the world's best-known ice climbing venues in winter, typically from mid-December to mid-March. Climbing is free; you need a helmet and crampons, and beginners should hire a guide.
- Jeep tours and rentals for the high mining roads, including Imogene Pass and Yankee Boy Basin, famous for summer wildflowers.
North of Ouray, Ridgway is a small ranch town with Ridgway State Park on a reservoir, and nearby Orvis Hot Springs.
Telluride
Telluride And Mountain Village
Telluride fills the end of a box canyon below Bridal Veil Falls, Colorado's tallest free-falling waterfall. The whole town is a National Historic Landmark District. A free public gondola connects Telluride with Mountain Village and the ski area. In summer and fall, trails climb straight out of town, and the festival calendar is packed; see our companion site's guides to Telluride's music festivals and film festivals.
Four-wheel drive country
The Alpine Loop And Lake City
The Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway connects Lake City, Silverton and Ouray over Engineer Pass and Cinnamon Pass, both above 12,000 feet, past ghost towns and old mines. It requires a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle and experience on rough mountain roads, or a guided Jeep tour. The loop is generally open from early summer to early fall, depending on snow. Lake City itself is a quiet historic town and a base for fourteeners such as Handies Peak and Uncompahgre Peak.
To the east, Pagosa Springs offers hot springs along the San Juan River and access to Wolf Creek Pass, home of a ski area known for heavy snowfall.
Planning
Southwest Colorado Tips
- Book Mesa Verde tours the moment they open. Set a reminder for 8 a.m. Mountain Time, 14 days before your date.
- Drive U.S. 550 in daylight. The views are the point, and the drop-offs are real.
- Expect cold at Silverton. At over 9,000 feet, mornings can be chilly in midsummer.
- Watch the monsoon. July and August bring afternoon storms and occasional mudslides on mountain roads.
- Mind fire and closure rules. Southwest Colorado has had significant wildfires, and closures can follow. Check the San Juan National Forest before you go.
Common questions
Southwest Colorado Questions
Do you need tickets for Mesa Verde?
Entering the park requires an entrance fee, and the main cliff dwellings such as Cliff Palace and Balcony House can only be visited on ranger-led tours with tickets bought in advance on Recreation.gov. In 2026, tickets were released 14 days ahead at 8 a.m. Mountain Time and sold out quickly.
Why is it called the Million Dollar Highway?
The name refers to the stretch of U.S. 550 between Silverton and Ouray over Red Mountain Pass. Stories about the origin vary, from the cost of building it to the value of the ore in the roadbed. It is part of the San Juan Skyway scenic byway.
Is the Durango & Silverton train worth it?
For many visitors it is a highlight of a southwest Colorado trip: a historic narrow-gauge railroad that has run since 1882 through the Animas River gorge to Silverton. Check the railroad's site for the current season, routes and options such as one-way trips with a bus return.
Sources
- National Park Service: Mesa Verde cliff dwelling tours2026 tour season and ticket rules
- Recreation.gov: Mesa Verde National Park toursticketing
- Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroadroutes and seasons
- Colorado Department of Transportation: Colorado scenic bywaysSan Juan Skyway
- Bureau of Land Management: Alpine Loop Backcountry Bywayroute information
- Ouray Ice Park and Visit Ourayice park season
- Town of Telluride: free gondolagondola information
- U.S. Forest Service: San Juan National Forestalerts and closures