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Colorado Southwest Tour --- (Back to Colorado Tours Page)
Home - Tour Guides - Colorado - Southwest
Tour Highlights
Durango - Silverton Railroad
Mesa Verde National Park
Ouray Hot Springs
Red Mountain Pass

Route Discounts

None at this time but we're working on it

Cliff Dwelling in Mesa Verde
Red Mtn. Pass
Town of Ouray
 
Durango to Cortez
1: Start out going WEST on E 11TH ST toward MAIN AVE. <0.1 miles
2: Turn LEFT onto MAIN AVE. 0.1 miles
3: Turn RIGHT onto W 9TH ST. 0.1 miles
4: Turn LEFT onto CAMINO DEL RIO / US-550. 0.3 miles
5: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto US-160 W / CO-789 W. 44.8 miles
6: Turn RIGHT onto N MARKET ST. <0.1 miles
7: End at Cortez, CO US
Total Est. Time: 50 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 45.60 miles

Cortez to Ridgeway
1: Start out going SOUTH on N MARKET ST toward W MAIN ST / US-160 / CO-789. <0.1 miles
2: Turn LEFT onto E MAIN ST / US-160 / CO-789. Continue to follow US-160 / CO-789. 1.9 miles
3: Turn LEFT onto CO-145 / STATE ST. Continue to follow CO-145. 70.9 miles
4: Turn LEFT to stay on CO-145. 12.7 miles
5: Turn RIGHT onto CO-62. 21.6 miles
6: End at Ridgeway, CO US
Total Est. Time: 2 hours, 29 minutes Total Est. Distance: 107.26 miles

Ridgeway to Durango
1: Start out going SOUTHEAST on CO-62 toward CLINTON ST. 1.7 miles
2: Turn RIGHT onto US-550 S. 80.4 miles
3: Stay STRAIGHT to go onto MAIN AVE. 0.2 miles
4: Turn LEFT onto E 11TH ST. <0.1 miles
5: End at Durango, CO US
Total Est. Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes Total Est. Distance: 82.41 miles

Durango is a great place to start your trip with it's many places to dine, shop, enjoy the nightlife or ride the world famous historic train from Durango to Silverton.

To start your bike ride, head west on Hwy. 160 for about 38 miles and look for the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park. Plan on spending some time at one of the west's most spectacular places. Make sure you take the tour with the Park Rangers, they will take you to places that you cannot access other wise, and point out many interesting things. After a full day in the park, you might want to call it a day. There is camping in the park or hotel camping just down the road in the town of Cortez.

Heading north out of Cortez on Hwy. 145 you'll ride through the beautiful Dolores valley, and up over Lizard Head Pass, toward the town of Ridgeway. On the other side of Lizard Head Pass, you could take the spur that leads into Telluride for a bite to eat and a cold one. Or you can continue on Hwy 145 into Placerville where you take Hwy 62 towards Ridgeway.

This is a very pretty part of Colorado with steep rock canyons and ranches in the green valleys. In Ridgeway you'll take Hwy. 550 south toward the town of Ouray. This is another great place to stop for the night to enjoy the Hot Springs and the town.

Out of Ouray the road heads up sharply and over some of the most spectacular passes in the state. In this part of the ride you'll be riding along steep cliffs and around hairpin turns with steep drop offs and no guard rails. But it's well worth it so plan on taking it slow and have your camera ready.

Along the ride you'll come into the town of Silverton, which is where the historic train from Durango runs to, then back. Silverton has alot of cool little shops, places to dine, along with some nice old hotels that have been restored and a bar on almost every corner.

Continuing south on Hwy. 550, the ride takes you through some very scenic mountains and over some low mountain passes before you start down into the valley that leads to the town of Durango, and the end of the ride.
 
http://www.motorcycletraveler.com/tours/colorado/southwest --- updated 09-15-09