Southwest

Southwest Colorado covers the rugged corner where the San Juan Mountains meet the Colorado Plateau, running from the Continental Divide west to the Utah line. The terrain is among the most dramatic in the state — the San Juans rising above 14,000 feet, the deep box canyons at Telluride, Ouray, and Silverton, and the high desert mesa country opening west toward Mesa Verde and the Four Corners. Gunnison, Hinsdale, San Juan, Ouray, San Miguel, Dolores, Montrose, Delta, La Plata, Archuleta, and Montezuma counties cover the region. Durango is the largest city. Other anchors include Telluride, Ouray, Silverton, Crested Butte, Pagosa Springs, Cortez (the gateway to Mesa Verde), and Montrose. Mesa Verde National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, San Juan National Forest, and Hovenweep and Canyons of the Ancients national monuments cover most of the public land. Most trips run mountain-and-archaeology focused. The Million Dollar Highway between Ouray and Silverton handles the most photographed stretch; the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad runs through the canyon daily; Mesa Verde holds the densest concentration of pre-Columbian cliff dwellings in the country.