Boom time in Southwestern Colorado

 

More than 100 years after settlers first flocked to the area, southwestern Colorado is experiencing a second boom as a vacation destination for those who want to ranch or relax in their retirement.

The towns of Durango and Pagosa Springs are prime examples of how this part of the state of “Nil Sine Numine” (Nothing Without Providence) is catering to the next generations of retirees.

It’s easy to see why the area is attractive: It’s beautiful, historically under-populated, and until recently, was home to reasonably priced real estate.

Over the last decade, prices are going up until some rival California’s asking prices. In Durango, a single-family home ranges from $400,000 to $600,000, according to a survey of local real estate listings. In Pagosa Springs and its outskirts, a vacation home for a large family will start at $600,000.

Here’s a look at some of the attractions that help people find southwest Colorado irresistible.

 

Pagosa Springs

Pagosa Springs first tried to lure visitors to the area with its healing mineral waters in 1890. A promotional brochure from the time compares the springs to those famous in Karlsbad, Germany, and calls the Pagosa spring “the largest, hottest spring in the world.”

Indeed, in the intervening 129 years between then and now, the underground sulfur spring has been large and hot enough to heat many of the town buildings and put the smell of sour eggs in most local motel pools.

But the stakes have now been raised with the opening of a brand new, $12 million hotel, located right downtown on the riverfront and upping the ante on the hot springs experience.

Guests at Pagosa Hot Springs can take their sulfur cure in a Las Vegas-style infinity pool, reserve a private hot tub with bar service, or lounge at a variety of community pools with views of historic downtown Pagosa Springs right across the river.

Room rates start at $249.

The town is also known for its river rafting, golf, mountain biking, hiking and fishing.

For more information about Pagosa Springs, visit www.pagosa.com.

 

 

Durango

Similar to Pagosa Springs, Durango has a big river passing through its downtown and a mountain backdrop surrounding the city limits.

However, Durango is considerably larger, has more employment offerings and is still experiencing major middle-class expansion on the southeast side of town.

Much of the charm of Durango comes from its downtown district, an eclectic mix of shops catering to locals and tourists alike. Within a block, you can check out fly fishing gear, mountain bikes, try locally brewed beer or browse in an art gallery.

Downtown also features a number of historic hotels dating from the late 1800s, including the Strater, the Rochester and the General Palmer. Rates start around $115 for non-peak times and go up to $300.

A major tourist attraction and something that makes Durango truly unique is the narrow gauge railway that runs between Durango and Silverton in the San Juan Mountains to the north.

If you’re lucky, you can catch the train steaming through the mountains on its way to Silverton. Its haunting whistle and black-smoke producing coal engine leaves a lasting impression of days gone by.

Ticket prices for a ride on the Durango to Silverton railway range from $79 to $150, depending on the package selected.

For more information about Durango, visit www.durango.org.

 

 

Mesa Verde

This national park, an ancestral home of the Pueblo people, is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world each year.

It’s the primary, non-commercial tourism draw in southwest Colorado and is located about an hour’s drive from Durango.

Admission to the park is $20. It takes at least a day-and-a-half to view a sampling of the archeological ruins there. Visitors can camp in the Morefield campground, within the park, for $23, or stay at the park lodge for $99 to $149. One restaurant and several cafes are located within the park.

Unlike most of our national parks, the Park Service has gone to great lengths to monitor visitor behavior by only allowing visits to the main residential ruins at Mesa Verde in tour groups. An additional tour ticket must be purchased for $3 per person, which includes informative ranger talks during your tour.

On a recent visit, Forest Service Ranger Tim McNeill said there are more than 4,700 historical sites in the park’s 40,000-plus acres, and more are being discovered all the time, especially in the back country.

The park has suffered from serious wildfires. About 20,000 acres has burned in the last 13 years. Many charred trees are visible as you drive through the park.

The park was once owned by a local ranching family, the Morefields, who started taking guests to see the ruins on horseback more than 100 years ago. The area became a National Park in 1906.

An extremely helpful museum, located on Chapin Mesa, gives the most comprehensive overview of the ancient Pueblos who lived at the site, from their daily diet to how they made baskets and clothes.

No one really knows what caused the people to leave their homes behind around 1300, but speculation is that their exodus was drought-related. None of the state’s major rivers pass through here.

Leah Etling is on an extended trip around the Western U.S. Email her at etling@hotmail.com.