bfish

We are staying in Telluride for a month.. We want to go to Durango to meet some friends for the day... We have a standard 4x4, Crysler Aspen.... Can we take Barlow Creek or Ohphir Pass? If so what would the time of driving be? Also is it worth the whole drive around the San Juan Skyway with a 5 year old and 2 dogs? Or maybe better just drive to Durango and back? We would like the shortest and most senic way.. Thank you...

happytrailstoyou

The drive via Ouray and Silverton is beautiful (120 miles and 2 1/2 hours) and via Dolores it 111 miles. I would do the complete loop.

Ouray is worth a visit. It's a nice town with a rather spectacular waterfall.

I can't advise about Ophir Pass, but it appears quite primitive in parts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmlt0Dx5U5c

HTTY

DebitNM

Do yourself a favor and do not take Ophir Pass. It is VERY narrow with steep drop offs, and many areas where only 1 car can fit at a time [if you are unlucky enough to meet someone going the other way, the car going downhill has to BACK up to find a spot wide enough to accommodate the vehicles.] Even if you are experience off-roader, this is pretty severe stuff. I have done the drive several times with my husband and even being a seasoned off-roader, it does make me nervous.

I have not heard of Barlow Creek, but looking at a map, it doesn't appear to go anywhere close to Durango - I don't even think it is a 4 WD road to Durango.

With a baby, just take the route that htty has suggested if you want scenic. If you want most direct, take 145 south past Dolores and then take 184 over to 160 and take that into Durango. That would take about 1.5 hours.

What time of year is this going to be? Snow comes to those parts by mid September. A month is a long time in Telluride, are you doing day trips? I have a home in the area, let me know if I can help.

DebitNM

OK, I will back off a bit, I was thinking of Imogene Pass that is so scary. But Ophir is no walk in the park either. I still suggest driving either down through Dolores or up via Montrose.

DebitNM

The Barlow Creek Road continues past the campground and crosses Bolam Pass to connect with the Hermosa Park Road and U.S. Hwy. 550. Road conditions near the pass often limit travel to high-clearance vehicles.

Read more: http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/trav...#ixzz1UwbIdMrq

Also you would have to go over Bolam Pass: road not in good condition --

http://www.bushducks.com/tripreps/passopen.htm#bolam

bfish

Thank you very much

bfish

Great drive, we left Telluride at 10am arrived in Durango at 12noon. Spent 2 hours in Durango left at 2pm... From Durango threw Silverton-Ouray- Ridgeway- Telluride- 5 hours with stops at the mountain passes and a quick stop at the Ouray town park... Long drive but well worth it... Total drive time just under 7 hours....

DebitNM

How did you go to Durango?

happytrailstoyou

Thanks for the report.

bfish

Telluride- Dolores-Mancos-Durango

DebitNM

Smart way to do the trip. Glad you liked it. A month in Telluride, wow that is a long time! We have second home in area, let me know if you need any other info.

furledleader

Now go do Ophir Pass........just for the h3ll of it. You may just find that it really ain't that bad.

DebitNM

If you have not done off-road driving in a mountain setting, I have to strongly advise against doing it for the first time with a child and dogs in a vehicle.

Just because you have an SUV with 4WD doesn't mean you are able to handle these situations. I had a Lexus 300 RX and trust me, that wasn't meant to handle these kinds of roads.

This is especially true when you meet an oncoming vehicle on a "road"[and I use that term loosely] that only accommodates 1 vehicle in either direction and you have to back up to a SPOT that is wide enough for the vehicles to pass each other. That SPOT is often at the very edge of a shear drop off, or rammed up against a rock face.

bfish

We live in Costa Rica for 10 years. I have 2 Land Rover Defenders 06 & 08... I drive 4x4 everyday.. I even find myself in very intense places using the front and back Warn winch at the same time with 2 remotes in hand... That said this Chrysler Aspen I have here is not ready for those off road passes.. I was thinking of renting one of those jeeps by Clarkes for a day or 2...

Thanks Fodors we love you..... Now everybody come to Flamingo Costa Rica, stop in at Remax Gold Coast..

DebitNM

You do have the experience and expertise for sure! Do the road have as sheer a drop off as there in Telluride? Guardrails?

We got our LR3 stuck in "caliche mud" outside Albuquerque and needed a Defender to pull us out! They are amazing vehicles!

rkymtfunfinder

Oh my goodness, yes the roads in Costa Rica have sheer drop offs with mud slides and wash outs. Some of their roads make our back country look like a freeway system. Their coffee farms are on steeper hill sides than most people are comfortable driving 4X4 on around here. Costa Rica is an amazing mountainous country with great beauty that requires skill to get from one town to the next at times.