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wbwood's avatar
wbwood
Explorer
Nov 03, 2013

It seems to be Colorado

It looks like we may do a trip to Colorado next summer. More than likely a 2 week trip and probably to the southern part. Looking at Durango and Ouray area.

Any recommendations of other places to see, stay, eat or do?
  • We were in that area this September and had a wonderful time.

    Grand Junction/Fruita is great. We stayed at the James Robb State Park Fruita Campground, excellent CG, very convenient for the marvelous Colorado National Monument for red rock scenery.. Don't miss it! There are also wonderful wineries near there you can tour. The Grand Mesa is a climb but has many campgrounds and lots of vistas.

    Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP is also excellent - has a good campground with electric hookups. Montrose has a nice farmer's market on Saturday for produce. Also every kind of chain store you might want south of town.

    We had fun in Ouray at the 4J+1 campground in a site by the river, walking distance to the town and a very interesting box canyon. Go to Mouse Chocolates and have coffee and "scrap cookies." There's a neat old western hotel close to the CG with a "face on the bar room floor."

    We drove the San Juan Skyway to Telluride and south - beautiful scenery! Snow on the upper elevations.

    We spent some time around Delores at the Anasazi Heritage Center and Canyon of the Ancients if you like ancestral Puebloan ruins. Stayed at McPhee Reservoir (COE or BLM.) Crow Canyon Archeological Center has an excellent one-day seminar you can take on that subject, with a visit to a dig. Mesa Verde has a new visitors center at the base entrance, instead of up on the Mesa.
  • I'm doing this exact same trip next summer. I have found RV sites that were nothing more than glorified parking lots. Of all the research I have done, it looks like Ridgeway SP or Black Canyon of the Gunnison are the most ideal for us.

    If were were gonna stay further North, I think that Rifle Gap/Rifle Falls, and if I was gonna stay closer to Durango, I would look hard at Haviland Lake CG
  • We like boondocking or public campgrounds so when we go Jeepin' in Silverton we boondock. When we stay around Durango, it's Haviland national forest campground. For Ouray, it's Ridgeway State Park.
  • bob_nestor wrote:
    I'm usually not a fan of KOA Campgrounds, but the one I'll stay at is the Quray KOA. It's a little ways outside of town but much nicer than the campground in town. There's a small kitchen that serves breakfast and dinner, Jeep rentals and all the other assorted KOA stuff. Most of the campsites are under trees with grass parking and there's a small stream that flows thru the campground. A lot of the campsites are on the stream. Big rigs park in a larger area that has fewer trees and gavel parking. There's usually a lot of wildlife, large and small, that comes thru the campground too.


    As Bob said, rent a jeep. You can ride the Alpine Loop over to Lake City and back. A few old mines. Allow all day.
    Pat
  • I'm usually not a fan of KOA Campgrounds, but the one I'll stay at is the Quray KOA. It's a little ways outside of town but much nicer than the campground in town. There's a small kitchen that serves breakfast and dinner, Jeep rentals and all the other assorted KOA stuff. Most of the campsites are under trees with grass parking and there's a small stream that flows thru the campground. A lot of the campsites are on the stream. Big rigs park in a larger area that has fewer trees and gavel parking. There's usually a lot of wildlife, large and small, that comes thru the campground too.
  • Mesa Verde NP isn't too far from Durango. If you come across southern CO on route 160, Great Sand Dunes is an interesting place, although it will probably be hot for hiking in the Summer.
  • Nice RV park in Ouray. Almost right downtown. Can't remember the name. You can also walk to the hot springs pool.
    Will you be towing a car? If so, make that your home base for a week.
    Take car trip to Telluride. Wonderful free trams.

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