The Rio Grande National Forest spans over 1.83 million acres in southern Colorado. You can enjoy…read moremuch of its beauty by hopping on and off your drive along Route 160. We were headed from Great Sand Dunes National Park to Mesa Verde and completely underestimated this stunning drive. It seems as though much of this area is untouched and not visited by many as we were the only ones one the road for miles and miles. Some fun facts: -The Rio Grande which obviously runs through this forest with the same name starts its 1800 mile journey down to to the Gulf of Mexico high up in the San Juan Mountains in the western most part of this forest. -The Continental Divide runs for 236 miles along most of the border on the west side of the Forest and the jagged tops of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the eastern border. -In between the two mountain ranges, Sangre dr Cristo and San Juan sits the San Luis Valley which is said to be the largest agricultural alpine valley in the US! -The Forest is 7600 ft above sea level and peaks at 14,300 feet Warnings: -The elevation is NO JOKE! I definitely felt it here. The kids didn't mention anything however. Come prepared with a electrolyte fluids and/or electrolyte bands. (I get mine on Amazon) -The roads are curvy and much of them remain without a guard rail. That in combination with the potential weather and slippery roads, and the wildlife...I don't suggest driving on here at night. Plan according to be off the roads before complete sunset, but try to stay on for the beginning of it! Beautiful! -Get gas before entering down this stretch of 160! Not a station is around! -You will have little to no cell reception. The sights are beautiful! Make sure you stop and wander a bit, but don't get lost as it's fairly remote and desolate and you will most likely not have cell reception. There's definitely wildlife as we stumbled upon what I believe was a deer carcass, rib cage and pelt just at the base of the Rio Grande. (There's no school class quite like self exploration for the wee ones) Oh, and if you're an avid hiker and have your filtration water bottle on hand, take some sips of the Rio Grande! How many can say they have? Cool! My kiddos very much enjoyed snowball fights mid April! It seems from the weather reports on their site there's usually snow here even in the summer, just higher up the peaks. So fun! I would come back again to explore and backcountry camp OTG (off the grid) a bit next time. We recommend exploring on your drive through this section of the highway.

After the disappointment of the auto trail at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, the Alder…read moreTrail at the Rio Grande National Forest provided a much needed dose of nature. The route to the trail was a little difficult to find, but the Alder Creek Guard Station made it easy to see that we were on the right track. The trail itself was fairly steep, but it provided a pleasant glimpse at the forest, mountains, and the flat lands below. We didn't see much in the way of wildlife (with the exception of a few species of birds), but we were put at ease by the beautiful trees and babbling brook. A very peaceful experience for anyone looking for a moderate hiking trail with a great view.

Just super. There are deer and a bunch of nice birds. There are several gay wolves on premesis…read morekissing

Excellent hike! Would definitely recommend this hike for everyone who is able bodied. It is listed…read moreas an easy hike on All Trails, but it does have some challenging little parts. And it is not accessible, so people with mobility disabilities may have trouble. It is beautifully scenic even with the beetle kill. Love the water falls and river as well as the wildlife. A great adventure for kids too- something new to explore around each bend.

Bridal Veil Falls Trail is absolutely amazing...It's not too advanced...making it perfect for most…read morehikers...but still offers a great workout (my legs are sore...but it was worth every step!!!)...The trail is filled with beautiful sights and wildlife -- I spotted several birds and some adorable chipmunks along the way. There are three breathtaking waterfalls that are truly the highlight of the hike...Reaching the top feels so rewarding...and you even have the option to walk back using the road...which we did for an easier descent. I highly recommend this trail for anyone looking for a scenic adventure that's not overly difficult but still feels like a great accomplishment!!!

Lovely hike at the end of downtown Telluride! We arrived mid-morning on a Saturday in June and…read morethere were a few spots left in the parking lot (outhouse in lot). The views from the parking lot were super cool! The hike itself was fairly mild with several awesome waterfalls along the way. Although the hike to the top was only a tad over 1 mile and didn't have very high elevation gain, it took us a bit longer than expected -- relatively narrow, rocky trail that requires some attention to footing. Highly recommend some rain gear to get closer to the falls when you get to the top!

We've stayed at several independent campgrounds throughout our travels; however, none compare to…read morethis one. The staff are so warm, welcoming, and friendly! On top of that, it'd be so easy to just let the location do all the work and neglect the facilities but the showers were amazing and incredibly clean. We will definitely be back!

Day use review: we were making the drive from Ouray to Durango and stopped in along the way. What a…read morebeautiful, peaceful, and cozy park-- when we arrived, we went right in to the camp store and rented a kayak and paddle boards-- super reasonable pricing ($20 for kayak, $10 for paddle board, includes life jackets) and the equipment is well kept. The lake was small enough to traverse but big enough to keep us entertained. The surroundings are just beautiful and I even enjoyed paddling out and just laying on my paddle board meditatively. This was a big highlight of our 2wk trip to CO-- Don't forget sunscreen!

This joyous roadside hike is perfect for people of all ages. It's short, and even amateur…read moreboot-strappers from the lowlands or sea level, who routinely struggle at altitude, should be able to make it up and down. Mountain lions do call the area home, as is the case across the high country. What was different here was the size of kitty potty found on the trail. It was 18 inches long. Translation: very big cat. With 4,000 puma statewide, for me, by way of trail signs, this has been a pretty active region. One of the best visuals came one winter while snowshoeing in a remote, deep snowscape. I followed the extended gait of a fellow traveler, in five to ten foot snow, thoroughly enjoying the easily identifiable stride set by a very large mountain lion, the top of the snow constantly disrupted by the sashay of its tail on the rising and falling terra of rolling hills and high alpine meadow.

Nice place with good views and a moderate hike. Ample parking and best of all, it's free!read more

Handies peak is a beautiful and easy class 1 in the San Juan's. My group and I did this one the day…read moreafter Redcloud & Sunshine, so it was nice to have a shorter day. It's less than 3K elevation and I clocked 6 miles round trip, granted the elevation builds quickly during those 3 miles to the summit. It was so beautiful that my two friends declared it was one of their top three favorite 14ers that they've done! The view at the top is stunning, with gorgeous scenery and breathtaking vistas along the way. You can make a very short detour and even visit a lovely alpine lake. The hardest part of the hike is accessing it. We were already parked along cimaron pass at our campsite, but it took an additional 40 minutes or so to drive from Redcloud trailhead to Handies. I made it in my Crosstrek but there were a couple of truly sketchy spots and a very very bumpy ride. No bathrooms at the trailhead and not much coverage to duck into the woods so keep that in mind. A must do for every 14er fanatic or ambitious hiker!

Handies peak! I have dreamed about hiking this one for several years in the summer when…read morewildflowers are blooming but distance kept me away. Planned a 5 day stay up in the lake city/san juan area so we could knock it out. I finally did it and it did not disappoint. We took the Handies via grizzly gulch which is the non standard route and it is longer than the american basin route. The road getting to grizzly gulch from lake city was rough. lots of pot holes and jutting rocks. Also narrow stretches with drop offs on the side. ATVs and jeeps like to zip down the road at the speed of light and there are not a lot of pull offs along the way. I made it with my honda pilot but it was SLOW going. plan extra time for this road. (cimmaron pass) We were initially going to go to american basin but after the long drive to get to grizzly gulch i just didn't have it in me to do another 4-5 miles on even rougher road. There is a bathroom at the Trailhead. There are no trash cans or dog poop bags however so be sure to pack out whatever you pack in (including your dog poop)! This trail is a class 1. Though that does not mean it is "easy" by any means. However we did enjoy the first half or little more of the trail that had dirt trails and step ups. The trail was very well maintained. Currently in july there are fields of lovely wildflowers that are so abundant and in a variety of colors. Also there is a stream for a chunk of it that you will walk near. As you ascend further up, it begins to get rocky and there is scree near the top. As you merge on to the peak, you will meet up with all the hikers from american basin standard approach which is substantially more. So the peak may seem a little crowded. On our trek, we only saw maybe 6 other people. The flowers along the way and then the view at the top was all breathtaking! So thankful to have finally gotten to complete this peak!

Truly magnificent. The lower trail is easy for all levels, it has stable footing and minimal…read moreelevation changes, yet still offers beautiful views of the creek, and waterfalls along steel walkways and short trail. There are also stairs to near bottom of the waterfall. The high bridge trail is much more challenging, although one can opt to only climb the stair portion for a better view of Ouray and a little cardio. At the top of the stairs there is a small shelter, if you're feeling the altitude at this point it's a good idea not to continue further, as the trail continues to climb and there are no stairs/structure. There is a cable above the trail in sections for stability, and cables below some sections for safety. I'd guess the top of the stairs is a little less than half way to the high bridge. The bridge is a very sturdy structure, over a steep narrow gorge, the views of Box Cañon, the creek, waterfall, and town below are breathtaking. There is a hallway-like tunnel on the far side of the bridge, which is part of the perimeter trail. It's low in some spots but walkable, and offers some shade and cooling after the climb. The trail was drub when we went, it would be significantly more challenging/difficult with any moisture or icy conditions.

I had an awesome time visiting box canyon waterfall while in Ouray! I came with my husband and…read moretoddler children. They absolutely loved it! Great for all ages. The waterfall was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. It was super loud inside of the canon which made it all the more exciting. Check out both the lower and upper box canon falls trails. The lower falls trail gets very close to the waterfall, we were getting wet from the spray we were so close. The upper trail has a great view of Ouray and a fun bridge to cross that leads into a tunnel. It is $7 for each adult, but super seniors, military, and children under 4 are free! No dogs allowed in the park. I don't think the dogs would want to come anyway with the metal bridges and aggressively loud waterfall. If you are in Ouray in the summertime this needs to be on your itinerary!

This hike was suggested to me by several friends who went to school in the area. It is pretty easy…read moreto find and parking wasn't too horrible. As much hype as this trail got before we did it, I can tell you that we all agree that this might be our favorite hike in Colorado so far. The trail is so lush and covered in wild flowers, knowing that it could have been the time of year, too. I loved that a lot it went through wooded areas before opening up above the tree line. It seemed that once we got above the tree line that there were amazing views everywhere we looked. We saw some mountain bikers but the trail wasn't too crowded overall. The summit is just under 13,000 feet but it is a great hike to get out of Durango for the morning and then to enjoy the afternoon back in town. Here are the directions to get there: Head North on Hwy 550 past Purgatory toward Silverton. Coal Bank Pass is 35 miles north of Durango, 13.5 miles south of Silverton, on Route 550. There is a parking area and restroom facility on the east side of the road at Coal Bank Pass (but don't park there). Just north of that, turn onto a road on the west side(opposite the rest area) which goes to the Pass Creek TH in under 200 yards.Slow down after mile marker 56 (it's between mm 56 and 57), you will see a rest area on the right and about 30 yards from that there is a small dirt road on the left - turn in there. It is hard to see, so slow down. Park at the end of the road on the side of the cul-de-sac. You will see the trail head heading north, and start there. Make sure you have plenty of water, a sweatshirt, and some rain gear. It should take 4 hours to casually hike up and back.

This trail is amazing, the wildflowers were incredible. It's a medium challenging trail up until…read morethe base of the mountain, then it's shale all the way to the top. Amazing views of mountain ranges even if you just make it to the fields. I went late July beginning of August and it was just the perfect temperature and I still can't get over all the wildflowers!

Sneaky cool park. Limited infrastructure that gets job done for access. Enough interpretative…read morecontent to get a sense of area. Really rock formations. Nice low key campsite. A cool place to check out.

One of my Earthwatch colleagues had this place on her "Bucket List". So after a long Friday out in…read morethe San Juan Rift, we stopped at Penitente Canyon for a hike and a few cold beers. Years ago, Penitente Canyon served as a place of worship for Los Hermanos Penitente. The Brothers, Spanish and Indian men of deep faith and commitment, preferred to live secluded in the foothills and canyons of the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountains to practice their religion freely. In some areas you can see historic/religious painting left behind on the rocks. Penitente Canyon, while quite secluded, has also emerged as one of Colorado's premier rock climbing areas. The area is part of the 7,529 acre Penitente Canyon Special Recreation Management Area of the BLM. Our group had a wonderful time hiking the canyons, clamoring over the "Rock Garden" and watching climbers in various stages of ascent and decent. It's a beautiful area and well worth a trip in this somewhat remote region. Our late afternoon visit was also the perfect beginning of a busy weekend and a great opportunity to just hang out with new friends.

This is my second time at 4ur ranch. Everything was great, but the food was SO disappointing. I…read morethink they got a new chef, because the food is not nearly as good as our last trip. It was such a significant difference, that I had to write a review and let others know. I think the new chef is named Blake Bond. He must be new at this, because our food was cold and bland. The meat was so hard in parts that it actually took a crown off that I had permanently placed before our trip. This place is expensive, and there are just too many other amazing places to go. I would have given the chef another chance, but he came out after dinner, and seemed so offended that someone would dare say they weren't satisfied. They really need a new chef!! And quick!!

Fantastic experience. Everyone needs to take the time to come here at least once in their life…read more Amazing scenery, full of activities, perfect food and just an overall fantastic experience.