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Southwest Colorado

This is Colorado at its best. There are mesas and vineyards out west, and massive snowcapped mountain ranges and wide open alpine meadows filled with wildflowers in the summer as you move up to higher ground in the central part of the state.

By foot, by mountain bike, by raft, by ski and by train, this region offers adventures large and small. Two crown jewels perfect for family vacations are the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, with its vertigo-inducing drops, and Mesa Verde National Park, which preserves cliff-dwellings from the Ancestral Pueblo people. There are a number of ski areas worth visiting here; Crested Butte is one of the state's best expert resorts while Telluride appeals to the 'in' crowd.

The real draw, however, might be the area's sheer remoteness. This is cowboy country, and the open vistas and independent spirit that brought frontiers people here a hundred years ago still rings true today.

Explore Southwest Colorado

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Southwest Colorado.

  • Archaeological Site

    Cliff Palace

    The only way to see the superb Cliff Palace is to take the hour-long ranger-led tour. The tour retraces the steps taken by the Ancestral Puebloans –…

  • National Park

    Mesa Verde National Park

    A fascinating, if slightly eerie, national park. Anthropologists will love it here; Mesa Verde is unique among American national parks in its focus on…

  • Natural Feature

    Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry

    Within the borders of the Uncompahgre National Forest, this bone-rich area yielded one of the most diverse Jurassic vertebrate collections in the world…

  • Winery

    Colterris Winery at the Overlook

    Sold in Colorado's finest restaurants, Colterris sits in a league of its own – as a sip of its earthy, balanced Cabernet Sauvignon confirms. The inviting…

  • Museum

    Ute Indian Museum

    One of the few American museums dedicated to one tribe. The Ute are the traditional people of western Colorado. The museum is situated on a homestead that…

  • Arts Center

    Crested Butte Center for the Arts

    The arts center hosts shifting exhibitions of local artists and a stellar schedule of live music and performance pieces. There’s always something lively…

  • Nature Reserve

    Weminuche Wilderness Area

    Named for a band of the Ute tribe, the Weminuche Wilderness Area is the most extensive wilderness in Colorado, with an area of more than 700 sq miles. The…

  • Park

    Ute Mountain Tribal Park

    Ute people once inhabited this entire region, from the San Luis Valley west into Utah, and, after a series of forced relocations and treaties from the…

  • Archaeological Site

    Balcony House

    Tickets are required for the one-hour guided tours of Balcony House, on the east side of the Cliff Palace Loop. A visit is an adventure that will…

  • Museum

    Anasazi Heritage Center

    The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the Anasazi Heritage Center, a good stop for anyone touring the area’s archaeological sites. It’s 3 miles west…

  • Nature Reserve

    Wheeler Geologic Area

    Part of the La Garita Wilderness, the dramatic stone formations of the Wheeler Geologic Area were carved by wind and rain into volcanic tuff framed by…

  • Archaeological Site

    Long House

    On Wetherill Mesa, the magnificent Long House is the second-largest cliff dwelling in the park. A strenuous place to visit, it is only reached as part of…

  • Museum

    Cortez Cultural Center

    Exhibits on the Ancestral Puebloans, as well as art displays, make this museum worthy of a visit if you have a few hours to spare. The adjoining Cultural…

  • Museum

    Museum of the Mountain West

    On display are a staggering number of pieces from the 1880s to the 1930s. There’s a re-created Old West town replete with storefronts, a saloon, drugstore…

  • Park

    Colorado National Monument

    A huge red rock mesa standing sentinel over the Grand Junction metropolis, the monument offers exceptional hiking, camping and road biking.

  • Landmark

    Slumgullion Slide

    In AD 1270 a catastrophic earth flow moved almost 5 miles down the mountainside and dammed the Gunnison River to form Lake San Cristobal, Colorado’s…

  • Museum

    Ridgway Railroad Museum

    Ridgway was the birthplace of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad, a narrow-gauge rail line that connected to Durango with the ‘Galloping Goose,’ a kind of…

  • Archaeological Site

    Chimney Rock Archaeological Area

    Designated an Archaeological Area and National Historic Site in 1970, these 4000 acres within the San Juan National Forest hold remains of 100 permanent…

  • Lake

    McPhee Lake

    The second-largest body of water in Colorado, McPhee Lake is one of the top fishing spots in the San Juan basin. With the best catch ratio in southern…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Southwest Colorado.