From Wikitravel

Southwestern Colorado, commonly called Mesa Verde Country [1], is a region of the state of Colorado in the United States of America that is known for beautiful landscapes, rich history, cultural heritage, and an abundance of outdoor activities.

[edit] Regions

• Alamosa County
• Archuleta County
• Conejos County
• Dolores County
• Hinsdale County
• La Plata County
• Mineral County - 96% public lands and planning to stay that way!
• Montezuma County
• Montrose County
• Ouray County
• Rio Grande County
• Saguache County
• San Juan County
• San Miguel County

[edit] Cities

• Cortez the archaeological center of America, is the largest community near Mesa Verde National Park and offers the most services for visitors. The town is nestled between the majestic La Plata Mountains, the brooding Sleeping Ute Mountain, and the sharp-hewn silhouette of Mesa Verde.
• Creede
• Crested Butte, in the far northeastern corner of the region, a major ski resort, with the town of Gunnison nearby
• Dolores The Dolores River is the heart and soul of this small community. It provides a vital water supply and also offers many recreational opportunities to area visitors.
• Durango, largest town in the region and southern terminus of a superb scenic (narrow-gauge) railway
• Mancos offers travelers many adventures including stream and lake fishing, hiking, biking, horseback and stagecoach rides, and other wilderness sports.
• Pagosa Springs, home to famous hot mineral springs.
• Silverton
• Towaoc, present tribal headquarters of the Ute Mountain Ute (Indian) Reservation

[edit] Other destinations

• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
• Four Corners
• Curecanti National Recreation Area
• Mesa Verde National Park

[edit] Understand

Roughly speaking, this region is bounded by:

• On the south, the New Mexico state line;
• On the west, the Utah state line;
• On the north, Interstate highway 70 (with some minor squabbling with Northwestern Colorado over a few destinations and attractions);
• On the east, the Continental Divide, more or less, with some minor excursions. This somewhat murky boundary is necessitated by the fact that the San Juan Mountains, occupying much of the eastern part of the region, are a chaotic jumble of ridges and valleys quite unlike the basically linear Rocky Mountains to the east, with which they are sometimes -- erroneously -- lumped. The area between the Divide and the Rockies is treated here as the South Central region.

This is a tremendously diverse area from a geological, and recreational, perspective. Some of the greatest American ski resorts are here, and the San Juans pose some of the most serious mountaineering challenges in Colorado (Dallas Peak, in the San Juans, is generally considered the most difficult of Colorado's high summits to reach, and should be attempted only by the technically proficient climber). On the other hand, the lower terrain near Four Corners barely seems "mountainous" at all (although you can see mountains in the distance pretty well everywhere in the region), and the main attractions reside in canyon-and-mesa country and the numerous archaeological sites there. Much of the Four Corners vicinity is occupied by the Ute Mountain Ute (Indian) Reservation, which is not to be confused with the better-known Navajo Nation occupying a large chunk of Four Corners territory in the other states that meet there.

[edit] Talk

English, even on the Ute reservations. Speakers of the major European languages can sometimes be found in Durango and at the major ski resorts, and Mesa Verde National Park has interpretive materials in several languages.

[edit] Get in

• Air service to Cortez is available from Denver International Airport, with daily flights on Great Lakes Airlines.

• Train service is available to Gallup, New Mexico (136 miles south of Cortez). Rental cars are available in Gallup.

[edit] Get around

There's really no alternative to driving. Motorists should be aware that the eastern side of this region contains some seriously high passes, particularly Wolf Creek Pass on US 160 as it crosses the Continental Divide, and Coal Bank Pass and Molas Pass on US 550 (the "Million Dollar Highway") between Durango and Silverton. These are commonly closed for periods of time during the winter. The western part of the region is lower and less prone to road closures, but towns with gas stations and services are few and far between.

[edit][add listing] See

• Lowry Pueblo in Mesa Verde Country Lowry Pueblo had a total of about 40 rooms and 8 kivas at its peak in the early 11th century, and was home to approximately 100 people. The pueblo was arranged in a roughly rectangular block, with some portions reaching as high as three stories. A great kiva, constructed outside the eastern limits of the village, is nearly 50 feet in diameter.

• Archaeology in Mesa Verde Country The earliest inhabitants of the area were nomadic peoples who lived in the area from at least 10,000 B.C., sustaining themselves by hunting game and gathering food plants.

[edit] Itineraries

[edit][add listing] Do

• Mesa Verde Country Indian Arts & Culture Festival. May is archaeology month in Colorado and there is no better place to celebrate than Mesa Verde Country, the archaeological center of America. Archaeology ties all of us to the heritage we proudly share with the Ancestral Pueblo people from the past and the Native Americans living here today.
• Mesa Verde Country Wine & Art Festival. In early October; the next edition is October 6-7, 2006.

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit] Stay safe

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Dunton Hot Springs, 52068 County Road 38, Dolores (near Telluride,) Phone: (970) 882-4800 (Fax: (970) 882-7474). Offering luxury private cabins in a ghost town. On site there is gourmet dining, fine wines, hot springs, spa services and outdoor activities. [2].

[edit] Get out

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