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by Norm Vance

Pagosa Springs is uniquely located in the heart of the southern Rocky Mountains. Standing in Pagosa one can look north to the lofty and rugged peaks of the Continental Divide and turn south and pear into the flat topped mesa country with its rich Spanish and Indian cultures. To the east, over the divide, is the huge San Luis Valley with The Great Sand Dunes National Monument and the headwaters of the Rio Grande River. To the west is Durango, Mesa Verde and the famous gold mining districts of the San Juan Range. All of this area can be accessed from Pagosa Springs taking comfortable one day car tours over scenic roads that are as worthy as the destinations themselves. Let’s consider some of these.
East

Driving over famous Wolf Creek Pass is an adventure in itself. In good weather don’t miss the short drive up Lobo Overlook on the north side at the summit of the pass. It allows a drive to the peak of a Continental Divide mountain. The view is forever!

Once down the east side South Fork, Colorado offers the decision to go north on HWY 149 also designated The Silver Thread Scenic Byway. This is an interesting drive following the North Fork of the Rio Grande River to its headwaters in the high country. Visit Creede and Lake City, Colorado and experience the gold mining history of the 1800’s and North Clear Creek Pass/Falls and Slumgullion Pass.

Creede was a mining town and there are several rock shops along with the normal tourists and sporting shops. Don’t miss the Mining Museum at the far north end of Main Street.

Slumgullion Pass was named for the yellowish dirt that an earth avalanche uncovered a thousand years ago. Many miners were former sailors and whale hunters and remembered eating Slumgullion Stew made of similar looking yellowish whale blubber. The avalanche damned the river north of Lake City forming beautiful Lake San Christibol, the highest elevation natural lake in Colorado.

Lake City is a tiny town and proudly features the history of Alfred Packer, the only American convicted of cannibalism. From Pagosa in the early morning, a casual drive through Creede and to Lake City and it is time for lunch at a town restaurant or a picnic on the shore of San Christibol.

Travel east of South Fork on HWY 160 and then north of Alamosa to find one of the natural wonders of the world, The Great Sand Dunes National Monument. Also in the Alamosa area is historic Fort Garland.
South

Tours south of Pagosa offer a wide variety of experiences in the lower elevation mesa country of New Mexico.

Taos and Taos Pueblo is a nice drive south on HWY 84 and then across the scenic Brazos Mountains to Terra Amarillo and on to Taos. Taos is both a town full of arts and crafts and historic interest and the Taos Pueblo, a surviving pueblo from the Anasazi times. Start early and enjoy the drive which includes crossing the Rio Grande Gorge. Taos is an ultra busy tourist town, be prepared to park and walk a lot. The pueblo is a short drive north of the town.

Santa Fe, New Mexico is within one day driving distance from Pagosa Springs. The drive south on HWY 84 passes through several Pueblo Indian Reservations with shops, museums and casinos. In Santa Fe most tourists head straight to the central historic square/plaza. Here Indian arts and crafts are sold from blankets under the ramada of the Governor’s Palace along with entertainment, shopping and fine dining. Many art galleries line the streets near the plaza along with historic churches and places of interest.

Drive south on HWY 84 and turn west to Dulce. Dulce is the center of the Jicarilla Apache Indian Tribe. There is a small but excellent museum and the tribe’s casino. Turn south in Dulce on a lonely but nice road that runs the length of the reservation through a beautiful pine forest and meets HWY 550. Excepting a small gas station/mini market at the entrance to Chaco Canyon there are virtually no services along this route after leaving Dulce. From HWY 550 south the pine forest landscape changes to empty and barren rock desert. Turn right or west and watch for the sign to Chaco Canyon World Heritage Site.

Mesa Verde is the best known and most visited Anasazi ruin site but it is not the most interesting or spectacular. Chaco Canyon is considered the best site to visit by most ruin insiders. Chaco was the capital or center of the Anasazi culture during an epic of rapid expansion so vibrant archaeologist call it the “Chaco Phenomenon.” At Mesa Verde the Anasazi were under attack from nomadic tribes and protected themselves by building in caves and cracks in the walls of narrow canyons. At Chaco Canyon they built huge, multi story buildings on both sides of Chaco Wash (River) including giant underground “kiva” chambers. After a stop at the visitor’s center you drive a long loop stopping every mile or so to enter another of these buildings. Several of them still have walls two to three stories high and you can wonder through the rooms at will. There are also printed guides and numbered signs to explain features along the way.

The road to Chaco Canyon from HWY 550 is gravel and sand. It is rough so realize it will be a long and slow ride. In heavy rain the road can be dangerous so time your visit by weather reports. This is a long round trip from Pagosa so have all the supplies you need with you as Dulce is the only town you will see all day long!
Aztec-Solomon Sites

There are two Anasazi ruin sites in the Aztec-Farmington area. One is in the city of Aztec and the other is found on the road to Bloomfield. Both are interesting and smaller than Chaco or Mesa Verde and can be visited together in one day from Pagosa. The Solomon Ruin has several more modern and complete Indian dwellings along with the ruins and Aztec has the best rebuilt kiva structure available to the public.

Mesa Verde (See above under Chaco Canyon)

Mesa Verde is the “Disneyland” of archaeological sites. While worthwhile expect crowds, traffic and waits to see some of the ruins. There are several loops where the ruins are at a distance across the canyon and binoculars are very helpful for finding and seeing these. Tours to some ruins require steep climbs and no fear of heights.

The opposite of Chaco Canyon in services, Mesa Verde offers virtually every service you could want including restaurants, camping, lodging and a host of others. The day tour from Pagosa is a long one so start early.

Anasazi Heritage Center, Dolores, Colorado

This is a nice day trip from Pagosa to visit the Anasazi Heritage Center and a lovely little mountain town. The Heritage Center has great displays of the Anasazi Culture and is an excellent educational experience.

Also visit the local museum for history of the mining days, mining trains and take a drive up HWY 145 north of Dolores. If time allows continue north on 145 to Rico, Telluride and Ridgway and then south on HWY 550 back to Durango and Pagosa.
Canyon of the Ancients Nat. Monument

This area northwest of Cortez includes several smaller Anasazi ruin sites for a quieter and more private experience. Use a road map for navigation.
Tours Including Off-pavement and Jeep Type Trails

Navigate these loops with a U.S. Forest Service Map or one of several jeep trail maps and guides available in local stores.
Trujillo Road to Navajo Lake

Turn south on 8th street at the Sisson Library in Pagosa Springs, then to Apache Street at the LPEA offices and turn right. Trujillo Road is a graveled county road that follows the San Juan River to Navajo Lake. At the lake you return to pavement on HWY 151. You can turn south and visit Arboles and the lake recreation area or turn north and return to Pagosa Springs. This is a pleasant country road away from the normal tourist’s path.
Summitville

1. Drive east of Pagosa to the East Fork Road turn to the south. This is a graveled road for about ten miles and then turns into a real jeep trail. This trail is not for folks who don’t like narrow twisty trails with 1,000 foot drop-offs. It crest the Continental Divide at 11,875 feet elevation at Elwood Pass where it meets a nice forest access road.

A right turn takes you to Platoro, a small summer only town and beautiful Platoro Lake. Gas, food and lodging are available here. Continue south and you reach HWY 17 in New Mexico. Turn west to Chama and then north back to Pagosa. 100% scenic!

Turn left at the summit of Elwood Pass and after a few miles turn right at the Summitville sign. Summitville is a ghost-gold town and has been America’s number one ecological disaster for the last decade. Read its history on this website.

An option is to drive through Summitville and go to Del Norte returning to Pagosa on HWY 160.

For a shorter loop go back to the Summitville sign and turn north or right and proceed down Park Creek Road to HWY 160 and back to Pagosa.

2. An alternant loop is to go up to the Summitville-Platoro area on Park Creek Road. This bypasses Elwood Pass, the most difficult jeep route and you access the same loop possibilities.
Jeep Capital of the World

Driving west to Durango and then north on HWY 550 to the Ouray/Silverton area or east to South Fork and north on HWY 149 to the Creede/Lake City area allows driving Engineers Pass and/or Cimarron Pass. Either direction completes a loop through “The Jeep Capital of the World.”

An alternant route is driving Stoney Pass connecting Rio Grande Reservoir on the east side with Silverton on the west side. Stony Pass is the most difficult route.