We(2adults & 2 boys(15&11) are traveling from canyon de chelly in arizona. Here's the plan:1 nite @ ea,Cortez,Durango,Telluride, Gunnison,Canon city,Colorado Springs,Denver. I wish we could spend more time but we already spent a week in Arizona. We fly out of Denver. What do you folks think of the route. We wanted to sightsee, horseback ride & raft. Any ideas would be great.

You did not specify how much time you have but did mention only one night at each location. If so, this plan may be too optimistic. Drives are long and will take up a lot of your time. Won't allow much for hiking, etc. Recommend thr Narrow Gage Trains out of Durango and a full day at Mesa Verde (if you plan to stop there). Not much at Gunnison except a drive through & look see at Black Canyon. Depends on your interests, etc.

Larry, thanks for the post. We only have 7 days. I figured 1 day @ mesa verde to sightsee. 1 day in telluride for horseback riding. 1 day in buena vista to raft. The locations I mentioned in my first post were for hotel stays. Any extra time would be to sightsee. Thanks for the train out of durango info-it sounds like fun. I was thinking of side trips to cripple creek and the airforce accademy. I'm tring to find a hot springs area to relax. This trip is still a work in progress, so your ideas are a great help. We have to keep hiking to a minimum due to health concerns. Thanks again.

This is a beautiful route! You will have a great time. If possible, I would skip the night in Cortez and spend two in either Durango or Telluride. If either Pagosa Springs or Ouray (Beautiful) fits into your plans - both villages have terrific hot springs. You can easily drive from Telluride to to Buena vista in one day. I would spend the night in Buena Vista and then go on the raft trip the next day. The mountains around Buena Vista are really beautiful and the raft trip will be fabulous. Both the Cottonwood Inn and the Mt. Princton resort have nice hot springs. The Cottonwood Inn has really clean, unique rock lined pools. Mt. Princeton's hot springs are historic and are right next to a river.

I would pick just about anywhere to stay in Colorado above Cannon city. The Royal Gorge is a tourist trap. I would take that night and add it somewhere else. Larry states below that there isn't much in Gunnison and maybe he is right - but the Black Canyon of the Gunnison is awsome - so if you have the opportunity - check it out! Cripple Creek used to have some real Ghost Town charm but now it is just a casino haven - If you want to visit a historic village (like Cripple Creek used to be) maybe you can fit Leadville or Silverton into your plans. Have a great time!

MMS, thanks so much for the post. We can't wait to relax in those springs.

If you're looking for outdoor activities, I would spend more time in Southern Colorado and less in Colorado Springs/Denver.

Ditto on Royal Gorge being a tourist trap. In Colorado Springs visit Garden of the Gods, Pike's Peak & the kids will enjoy Air Force Academy.