Idnas71

Hello everyone... I am still undecided which particular routes I want to drive in Colorado to get the best "bang for my buck". Also wondering if the scenery will be similar and maybe I should just take the most direct routes.

So I'm definitely planning one entire day to drive the loop from Durango to Ouray, up to Montrose and Black Canyon of the Gunnison for a very brief visit, back to Ridgway and on to Telluride for hopefully a ride on the Gondola and a nice dinner somewhere, and then driving back to Durango for the overnight. Yes, I realize this is a VERY long day but I'm more than up for it.

So I was also wanting to drive the route 149 through Creede and Lake City as I have read that it is just a beautiful drive. But can anyone comment if the scenery I would see here would be much different from the drive through Ouray, which I also understand is to die for?

Lastly, I got a previous suggestion on here recently to drive the route 285 (gun barrel) to Denver rather than I-25 North for more great views. I'm leaning heavily towards doing this route anyway, but not sure if I will be accessing it from Route 160 at Monte Vista or Route 50 at Poncha Springs.

Thanks for any further comments on this... I appreciate ALL opinions, good or bad.

MightyIsis

I'll just comment on your first part. Your one-day loop from Durango to Ouray, then to Montrose and Black Canyon before heading back to Ridgeway and Telluride is going to be exhausting. It is not quick to drive from Durango to Ouray. Last summer there was lots of construction b/w Durango and Silverton, where we were stopped for a while. Furthermore, these are very steep mountain roads, which limits you to 30-35 mph in parts. I would not include Montrose and Black Canyon of the Gunnison on this day. By the time you get to Telluride, you will be beat, not appreciate it as much and thinking, "boy have I got a long ride back to Durango ahead of me." I suggest going up to Silverton, Ouray, turning at Ridgeway and going straight to Telluride. When you want to leave Telluride and go back to Durango, don't go back the way you came. Take Rte 145 south to Dolores. Then in Dolores there is a cut through road back to Durango. You will see fantastic scenery, a river along the road most of the way, and the road grading is not as intense as the Silverton to Ouray route. It will be a more relaxing drive back to Durango in my opinion.

BLYVAIL

I second doing Montrose and Gunnison/Black Canyon on another day. It would be too long a day.

Idnas71

Thanks for your comments. I didn't plan on construction slowing me down but I do realize the driving will be slow.

When I entered the information on Mapquest it came back with 2.5 hours from Durango to Montrose, 1.5 hours from Montrose to Telluride and 3 hours from Telluride back to Durango... are these accurate estimates, not counting road construction delays?

Connie

Those times seem right to me. Of course, you are going to want to stop in the towns and walk around a bit but none of them are very big and it doesn't take long to see Black Canyon.

Personally, if you don't mind driving and seeing a lot in one day, I think it's doable. Sounds like our kind of trip--see as much as you can!!

Idnas71

Thanks for confirming those drive times, Connie. I don't usually let the dust settle around me while I'm on vacation. So you think I'll want to spend some time in Ouray? I was thinking I'd save that "wandering around" time for Telluride aside from stopping for lunch somewhere. Any great lunch suggestions for Montrose?

Thanks again,
Sandi

karens

I would definitely want to spend some time in Ouray! There is a hike short hike to a waterfall there and a really nice historical museum. It is small and we by-passed it on our first visit, but I was really glad we stopped in the 2nd time around. It is chock full of all sorts of really interesting stuff. And of course, the hot springs is a great place to spend an hour or two. But my favorite thing to do in Ouray is to take a Jeep tour up to Yankee Boy Basin. You can do this in 1/2 day and in July the mountains are carpeted in wildflowers.
Personally, I'd do the Jeep tour over driving over the the Black Canyon. We are used to doing vacations where put a lot of miles on our rental car, but SW Colorado is one place where it's worth getting out of the car - especially Ouray and Telluride.

PeggyE

We just did the Durango-Silverton-Ouray drive 2 weeks ago. And for us that was enough for the day, going back to Durango & the Strater Hotel for a great dinner. I suppose you could rush through the whole thing but then what is the point? The we spent an entire day at Mesa verde (including the drive & lunch & scenic detours. We loved it all......have a great trip.

Idnas71

Karen,

How did you come across the waterfall hike in Ouray... were there signs posted along the road somewhere? The historical museum sounds interesting, may have to look into that.

Peggy,
I'll have my own 4-wheel drive vehicle but not planning to take it on very extreme mountain backroads. I checked into those jeep tours but they're a bit pricey and I'm focussing the majority of my trip on the Utah National Parks this time. I get quite a rush of adrenaline when I'm on vacation and can fit a lot of stuff in. I've got a reservation at the Strater for two nights in Durango, too. Will be stopping at Mesa Verde for one whole day after an overnight in Cortez and before arriving in Durango. How did you spend your one day at Mesa Verde? How early did you arrive there and did you get any tickets to tour the more popular houses? I'm hoping it won't be as crazy there on a weekday (Thursday, June 3rd) but that's probably just wishful thinking.

Also, did you choose to have dinner at the Strater for convenience or was it really that good? I thought the ragtime piano bar sounded like fun... I'll definitely be checking that out.

Thanks to all for your input here!

Connie

I agree with karens. Ouray is my favorite of all the towns on the loop.

My favorite things to do in the area are the Durango/Silverton train and the Jeep tours.

The Jeep tours (lots lf people take their own 4WD), you really get to SEE this part of the state. It was really awesome.

PeggyE

Hi,
We loved the Strater & yes the Mahogany Grill for dinner was fantastic, best meal of the vacation. Make reservations & ask for one of the booths (well not sure if you're going solo though or a couple/family, quiet & romantic. My husband had elk & I had fillet. Impeccable service. Get the chocolate avalanche for dessert! The Office for drinks has a great atmosphere & Diamond Belle Saloon was a riot on Friday night, at least for us since we're from SoCal & it was so different.
For Mesa Verde we got there about 9:00 & could get tickets for Balcony House & Cliff Palace but one tour was at 10:30 & the other not until 4:00pm so we skipped Cliff palace & did the driving tour & walk to Spruce House, the museum & various scenic stops along the way. We went on a week day & it really was not crowded at all, I would hate to go in the middle of summer, but the tours were selling out. Not sure if you can get tickets ahead of time though. Most the shops in Ouray were just beginning to open for the season, alot still closed. We had lunch at the Artist's Loft which was electic & good sandwiches & French Onion Soup. Nice people. I keep meaning to do a trip report on the ALB, Sante Fe, Taos, Durango trip but haven't had the time yet. Have fun!

karens

Hi. There is one waterfall in Ouray located just at the end of one of the streets - just a short stroll, really. The other is at Box Canyon Falls. This is more of a commercialized place on the south side of town. There are (tacky) signs for it once you're almost there. The trail and bridges there take you very high above the gorge and the falls. If you are pressed for time, I don't think these hikes are really the best use of your time.

Another thought, and just my opinion. Once above Ridgway and onto Black Canyon - the scenery's not amazing. Not ugly, but nothing dramatic. Maybe you can skip that part and then you'd have more time in Ouray and Telluride. I think eliminating that would save you a good 2 hrs. of driving. You could take in the historical museum in Ouray and soak for a bit in the hot springs pool with your extra time. The historical museum has limited hours (I recall them having a really long lunch closure or something like that). But it really is fascinating.
The view of the Black Canyon is cool, but I think you'll see much more dramatic scenery in Utah. Again, just my opinion.

travellyn

My favorite restaurant in Durango is Ken And Sue's, 636 Main, about a half block from the Strater.

The scenery around Creede and Lake City is indeed different from the Million Dollar Highway. I haven't driven Highway 149 yet, but I've hiked along the Colorado Trail very near there. (I'll get to visit both towns in July or August this year as we do another piece of the CT. Yes!)

I was the one who mentioned the Gun Barrel. I like it a lot better than I-25, and I can drive it in 7 hours from Durango, but the other drives you are talking about have better scenery. It's a very good route to take, but not worth going out of your way for. If you pick it up at Poncha Springs, you'll have a chance to drive 149 first. The best scenery on 285 is between there and Denver anyway. Just realize that you may want to stop for the night before you get to Denver.

I'd do the whole loop through Ouray, including a couple of hours at the Black Canyon, in one day without qualms, but I wouldn't stop for supper in Telluride. I'd stop there for maybe an hour, then hop right back in my car to get back to Durango for my big meal. If I had that meal in Telluride, I'd be struggling to stay awake during the rest of the drive, and I'd want to drive along the Dolores River in daylight anyway, because it's so pretty, and so many deer and other animals roam the highway in the evenings between Telluride and Durango.

Idnas71

Thank you, everyone, for your further contributions to my questions. I like the suggestion of waiting for a late dinner after arriving back in Durango.

I'm sure whatever we decide to do it'll be a fun time. By the way... I'm traveling with a good friend, just two gals on a long-overdue road trip. We've had several trips together in the past 10 years or so... everything from Boston to France. This will be our first road trip in our own car, though. It'll be nice to be able to change some plans at a moment's notice if we really want to. I really hope to drive that Route 149 but if it comes down to a time constraint we'll probably skip it.

The advice and information I have gotten off this forum is so valuable... thanks again.