Santa Fe, Taos, Mesa Verde, Telluride, Moab to Albuquerque
 

I am not a fly fisherman but I'll bet you can easily find places to fish in Colorado.

Mesa Verde National Park..loved it! You get good views of the cliffside dwellings without needing to hike down, and there a few spots where you can walk around some pueblos on flat trails. I stayed in a restored vintage motel in Cortez, the Retro Inn.

Arches from Moab you do need a timed entry permit until the end of October unless you go before 7am. You can still go to Canyonlands without a reservation. I think for someone with knee issues Canyonlands Island in the Sky might be a good choice (just walking short trails to lookouts) but you can see a lot of Arches from the car or short walks to lookouts (which I had to do this summer because it was too friggin hot!). I just stayed in one of the chains (Comfort Suites) where I got some kind of fire sale (literally, I think).

If I understand correctly, you have 10 days? If so, your plan is a bit ambitious for 10 days, especially as you've already earmarked three nights in ABQ, three in Telluride and a couple in Taos.

Maybe I misunderstood?

We made a nine-day trip to the area just before covid. Flew into Albuquerque, spent the night near the airport and drove to Moab the next day. We spent two nights there at the Hilton for a day in Canyonlands and a day in Arches, then drove to Mesa Verde for two nights. We took the 700 Year tour which at the time included the Cliff Palace -- probably too hard on your knee. We stayed at the Far View Lodge in the park, which I recommend because of the long drive from the park's entrance. We finished up with three nights in Santa Fe, then made the short drive to Albuquerque airport the final morning.

Note that the Weatherill Mesa in Mesa Verde is closed for the current season. Always check the NPS website for alerts. I don't like ladders and did my one and only ladder tour at Gila Cliffs (different trip). That was enough. You don't need a tour if you are not going to go on a ranger-led tour to Cliff Palace (probably not a good idea with your knee issues). You can download podcasts ahead of time. Since much of the park is closed and you won't be hiking, you probably only need half a day anyways.

From my motel in Cortez, the drive to the Park Point overlook is about 30 minutes and its another 5 miles to Far View Lodge. Maybe the extra $100/night is worth it for the view, but I enjoyed the Farm Bistro restaurant in downtown Cortez so much that I went back for lunch on my way home.

Thank you for replying.

Thanks for replying.

Yes, I think it is way ambitious considering all the driving. That’s was why I was thinking of taking Taos off and fly fishing in Colorado. Thanks for your thoughts.

10ish days, of which 2 are around Santa Fe and 3 in Telluride. That does not leave much to include Moab and Mesa Verde. In can be done from Telluride you can drive to Moab in about three hours, and from Moab in a little more than 2 hours, although that probably means to the headquarters from which it is a long drive into the park itself. From Mesa Verde it will take about 4 hours to drive to Albuquerque. You may have to give up Moab, especially if your fly fishing day is not part of your stay either in Santa Fe or Telluride.


with minimal climbing.