The temperatures in the Scottsdale area are definitely not conducive to fall. So, instead of constantly complaining about the heat and lack of fall colors and weather, I decided to go to Colorado and combine 3 national park stops with fall colors.
Included in this blog with be the three National Parks I visited, my roadtrip stops that were filled with plenty of fall colors AND a bonus side road trip that a native Coloradoan shared with me which allowed me to get the best fall colors!
DAY 1: Fly into Grand Junction, Colorado via American Airlines non stop flight. This allowed us time to get to GJT, get a car and drive and hour and a half to our first National Park.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison: North Rim. (there is also a south rim that is less visited and not doable for us on this trip)
We entered the Black Canyon near Montrose, CO. I was not expecting much from this NP. I live in the Grand Canyon state and so my expectations were pretty low. Not much can compare to the GC. However, I was totally surprised by the sheer beauty of the Black Canyon. The deep grooves, the soaring birds, the overlooks and the hikes.
Here is what we saw and did:
1. Overlooks: We stopped at the visitors center and the Gunnison Point overlook that is right near the Visitor Center. The views were incredible.
2. Next week did a short 1.6 mile hike called Oak Canyon Flat. The trail does descend a bit into the canyon. (remember you have to climb back out). We saw great views and plenty of fall colors.
3. We stopped at the following overlooks including Cross Fissure overlook, Chasm View, The Painted Wall and pretty much whatever overlook we thought looked good. Most of the overlooks require a very short walk to view the expanse and depth of the Canyon. We did add some hiking to some of the overlooks but that is purely optional.
4***. The best thing we did inside Black Canyon was drive the East Portal Road to the bottom of the canyon. To do this drive you have to drive back toward the entrance of the park and turn down the road, or drive the road as you enter the park when you arrive. The East Portal Road provides access to the park's lower canyon and the Gunnison River. This road is known for its steep and winding descent, offering breathtaking views of the canyon's sheer cliffs and rugged landscape.
The East Portal Road is approximately 5 miles long, winding from the top of the canyon down to the Gunnison River. The drive features steep grades and several switchbacks, making it a unique experience for visitors. It typically takes about 15-20 minutes to drive down, but you'll want to allow extra time to stop and enjoy the views along the way! Please note that it is an extremely steep road, with warning signs at the start of the road. They highly recommend using Low Gear to descend this road.
BUT, please dont let the signs and this post scare you from doing this drive. Yes, it is steep and curvy but it is definitely doable and definitely worth it. Once at the bottom of the canyon you can stop along the river for fabulous views, see a small waterfall and hike along the river. We saw several kayakers as well as several people fishing. It was not crowded so we had a lot of peace and quiet and the place mostly to ourselves. We even saw a few deer.
****Keep in mind that the road is often closed during winter due to snow and ice, so it’s best to check current conditions before planning a visit.
We completed all of this before 7 pm so we drove to our first hotel....The Holiday Inn in Montrose, Colorado. The accommodations were decent enough, good location and free breakfast. I do find that any hotels seem to be more expensive for what you get, when they are near a national park, and that was true with this Holiday Inn.
Day 2: Originally I had planned to go back to Black Canyon of the Gunnison but my friend "Hiking Bob" told me about doing a more scenic route from Montrose, CO to our next stop in Salida, CO. Since I was anxious to see some fall colors we opted to not return to Black Canyon but to take the scenic route to Salida.
The roads we took were gravel but easy to follow. I wasn't expecting a gravel road but it is doable in any vehicle. A four WD is not necessary. Taking this route was worth every minute. We stopped so many times for photos, to hike and to absorb all the beauty. This backroads route was not busy and we had plenty of time and space to really appreciate the views. This side trip added about an hour of driving time, and even more time since we stopped so much, (if you just want to drive and look it would take you about 4 hours to Salida on this route as opposed to 3 hours on the main highway. Worth the hour in the fall) Stopping at Owl Creek Pass and hiking there was definitely worth the drive.
When we arrived in Salida we took a hike along the Arkansas River. We saw rafters getting out of the water but the water did not look that deep so I don't know how the rafting really is at this time of the year. It would be a pretty raft ride seeing all the fall foliage along the shore line. We also saw a girl "surfing". She had a full on wet suit, and a helmet on. She had a small surfboard or really a wake board like board. She was spending the early evening "surfing" on the river. It was pretty fun to watch and again, not sure how she did it with the water a bit low but it looked like fun.
We spent the night at a really unique self check in hotel called the Manhattan Hotel. The rooms were big, great shower, small balcony overlooking the Arkansas River, and centrally located so it was easy to walk around the shops and restaurants. The unique thing about this hotel is that it is all self service. There is no lobby, no check in/out person, just a code given to us via text that allowed us to access the building and then another code to access our room. The room had everything we needed but there is a number to call if you actually need additional service. This hotel is not an accessible hotel for people requiring assistance.
Day 3: We got up early to drive 1 1/2 hours to Great Sand Dunes National Park near Mosca, CO. Prior to arriving at Great Sand Dunes we stopped at the Oasis Store located right before the park, to rent sand sleds. Each sled is about $20 to rent which includes the wax and a tutorial on how to use the sleds and steer them! You can also buy snacks, use the restroom etc.
We spent a few hours at the park climbing the dunes and sledding down. We met a lot of great people at this park and even let a family use our sleds. The park was pretty crowded but the dunes are massive so it didn't feel as crowded as the parking lot looked. FYI, sand is so much harder to hike in than a regular dirt or rock trail. Please remember the farther out on the dunes you go.....you still have to get back! The sand was not hot or rough so it didn't hurt when/if you fell off your sled (I may be talking from experience).
After Great Sand Dunes we were on track to hike Zapata Falls. However, we were exhausted and didn't feel like getting wet... plus we had a 2 1/2 hour drive to Pagosa Springs, CO. So we skipped Zapata Falls and drive to Pagosa.
Once we arrived in Pagosa we were surprised again by our hotel. The Keyah Grande Hotel located on Highway 160 in Pagosa. In reality, this hotel is about 15-20 minutes outside the main town of Pagosa on a large ranch. The ranch has beautiful grounds including cows, deer, elk and more. We saw two eagles here as well. Random question here......have you watched the movie The Shining with Jack Nicholson?
We felt like we were in the movie. When we arrived to the hotel we walked in and no-one was there. No-one in the lobby, no-one in any of the rooms, nothing. I had the phone number for Elizabeth, my contact for the hotel, so I called her. She commented that the resort gate usually notified her when someone was arriving but since the gate was open she wasn't notified. She said she would walk over, and she did, arriving just 2-3 minutes later. As you can see by the photos, the hotel is gorgeous. Each room in the hotel is modeled to look like the country it is named after. We stayed in the Japan room and since we were the only resident there that night we were allowed to tour all the rooms. Each room is very spacious and well appointed. We had the hotel literally to ourselves! There is a huge game room, a small dining area*, a parlor, bar, pool and hot tub. We actually enjoyed the outdoor hot tub and the views from the hotel are magnificent.
This picture was of the sunset the night we were there. Overall, the place is magnificent, but it was very weird staying there alone.
* the one huge downfall of the hotel is that there is no restaurant on site. We had to drive into town for dinner.....20 minutes away. In the morning we were served a European breakfast which was nice, but all items were cold (lunch meats, cheese, fruit, pastries etc.)
the place we ate at in town is called Riff Raff Brewery. It was delicious. Our server was amazing and it was an overall great experience. We highly suggest trying the green chili apple pie!
Have you ever been the only guests at a hotel? It was spooky at first but we really enjoyed the complete privacy.
Day 4: This is the day we had to keep a tight schedule. We were driving to Mesa Verde National Park. The drive was about 2 hours to the park and we had reservations to hike Cliff Palace at 11 am. We needed to arrive to the park, take our National Park sign picture and get to the tour by 10:45 (they like you to be at least 15 minutes early). Once you arrive at the park entrance there is an additional 45-60 minute drive to the Cliff Palace tour. Timing of the drive inside the park can change depending on weather, traffic, crowds etc. The road inside the park is quite windy and slow going in spots (especially if you are behind a very careful driver or a RV). I always like to arrive in plenty of time so we started the morning early.
The Cliff Palace tour was amazing. Jordan, our guide, is from the Pueblo Tribe and he was so knowledgable and proud of the dwellings it made our tour really special. **If you can not physically do the tour you can still go to the overlook to see the ruins. Photo below.
To actually go on the tour you MUST HAVE a reservation. Reservations are checked by the rangers and the number of attendees on each tour is limited. Reservations go on sale 14 days in advance at recreation.gov. Times of tours vary throughout the day.
Cliff Palace is the largest known cliff dwelling in North America. Built between 1190 and 1280 CE, Cliff Palace was once home to over 100 people.
To get to the ruins you must descend steep stairs to start off the tour. You must be physically capable of climbing 4 ladders as well. The tour is short at about 1/4 of a mile but I wouldn't say it was easy for everyone, especially for new hikers or older people. If you have children they must be able to climb the ladders and do the tour on their own.
Tours run from May through October but the schedule may vary depending on ranger availability, weather etc.
This tour is scheduled to last about 45 minutes, but our tour was a bit more than an hour. Jordan was so nice and answered all our questions, plus we had to wait for other groups to finish parts of the tour so that added time to our tour.
Once we completed the Cliff Palace tour we drove over to Balcony House for our next tour. We sat in our car in the parking lot and ate our PB & J sandwiches before our 1 pm tour started. Tours start right at the Balcony House sign, under the ramada area. Our ranger was early and he did start the safety instructions before 1 pm so we could start the actual tour on time. On both tours they review the tour, what the expectations are physically and some historical information.
Although Balcony House is a smaller set of Pueblo ruins it is definitely more physical than Cliff Palace. On this tour you are required to climb, you a 32 ft (9.8 m) ladder (photo below) , crawl through an 18 in (45 cm) wide by 27 in (68 cm) tall tunnel extending 12 ft (3.7 m) long, and climb up a 65 ft (20 m) open cliff face with 31 ft of steep uneven stone steps and two 18 ft (5.5 m) ladders to exit, as well as squeeze through a few tight short slots. Children must be capable of climbing the ladders on their own. Infants must be placed in a carrier and the adults carrying them must be able to maintain mobility and balance. Reading this and hearing the ranger talk about this kind of freaked me out. If you are scared of heights it might freak you out but if you are in decent shape it is not bad at all. The adventure is fun and you really learn a lot about the Pueblo way of life
Know your physical health before joining the tour of Balcony House, especially if you have heart or respiratory problems, or other physical difficulties. Elevations range between 7,000 and 7,500 ft (2134 m and 2286 m) above sea level. You should plan for all weather possibilities because conditions can vary and heat could become a factor. Below is a photo of a portion of Balcony House.
It is much smaller than Cliff Palace but definitely interesting and amazing how they built these dwellings, built communities and sustained a way of life.
After completing both tours we explored the park a bit more before driving 40 minutes to Durango, CO. Durango is a really fun town. Super lively and filled with hikers, bikers, leaf peepers and skiers in the winter. We explored Durango into the evening and stayed at the Rochester Hotel. This hotel is in the heart of Durango, it was old and the walls are thin. Our room (105) was next to the "lobby" and happy hour lasted until after 9 with several exuberant participants. That was not a big deal since we were up, out having dinner, and then headed out later that night to try and catch the northern lights. However, free breakfast was also served in the "lobby". Coffee and pastries. The sleeping in was not going to happen with all the noise!
We could have ended our trip there in Durango after spending the night. However, we opted to stay longer in Colorado, and enjoy more of the fall colors, the perfect temps, and explore new areas (to us) in Colorado. Besides, who wants to rush back to the 100 degree temps in Phoenix?
Day 5: So, instead of flying home we chose to drive the Million Dollar Highway up to Ouray, CO. This roughly 2 hour drive is spectacular with tons of fall colors, cute little town of Silverton, as well as roadside waterfalls on the way up to Ouray.
Once in Ouray we hiked Box Canyon Waterfall (see below)
Box Canyon has its own parking lot. You can drive right down to the start of the trail. We saw people parking across the highway so please be aware that you can access this waterfall by driving to the trailhead and parking closer to the waterfall. There is a $7 charge for hiking the falls here. We did see people in the water below the waterfall. This hike is unique because you can see the waterfall from various angels along the path including from the designated walkway with handrails, to descending into the canyon and viewing the falls from below. We did go down to the water and put our feet in. Others were braver and ventured deeper into the shallow waters if you so choose to do that to cool off in the summer months.
We also hiked Cascade Falls which is right in the town of Ourey This is a short .3 mile hike to the waterfall. The flow of the water (see photo) was low and others that were hiking near us said the flow depends on the time of year.
After seeing these waterfalls we went into town for lunch at Maggie's Kitchen which is a hamburger place. The service was fast and the food was good if you like burgers, fries and onion rings. It was crowded but seating was easy to get. We walked around the shops of Ouray the rest of the afternoon.
That evening we went to Gold Belt restaurant. We met up with Elise, a hiker friend who was in Ouray for the night as well. The Gold Belt was great with a variety of food including pizza, chicken sliders, salads, burgers etc. We sat outside and listened to live music which was a lot of fun.
Since we had never been to Ouray we decided to really enjoy ourselves and spend the night. We stayed at the Box Canyon Lodge and Hot Springs. The hot springs consist of 7 different "tubs". which are round hot tubs with hot mineral springs. Outside of the hot tubs there is a list of how hot each "tub" is. We enjoyed a soak and had the place to ourselves. The hotel is average for the price but does include a hot breakfast with a waffle maker, toaster, eggs, sausage, fruit, yogurt etc.
The fall colors around Ouray and the colors between Ouray and Durango were still beautiful at this time of the year as fall was still hanging on. Please note that peak fall colors can change from year to year. I do suggest driving the and the Million Dollar highway if you get the chance. It gets its name as the Million Dollar Highway for a reason!
Day 6: Up early to enjoy a free hotel breakfast before heading back down to Durango to catch our flight home. American Airlines non-stop Durango to Phoenix. On the way back to Durango we stopped at Bear Creek Falls (photo below) which is right of the highway on the right hand side as you head towards Durango. We had the overlook to ourselves and the morning light was magnificent.
The Durango airport is small (no long TSA lines) so we arrived in time to return our rental car and get to our 11:45 am flight home to Phoenix.
If you are looking for a fun, busy, action packed few days in Colorado hopefully this blog helps. There are so many hikes that we planned to do but opted for smaller, quicker hikes to maximize our time and sightseeing. I would definitely like to go back and do some more back country hiking and I know I missed out on some secret waterfalls that I would love to see. Thats the beauty of traveling. There is always so much to see and do to keep us interested.
If you have any questions or if you would like more detailed information on the scenic route we took from Montrose to Salida please feel free to DM me or email me at hikingunlimited@gmail.com
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