Locals' Picks

[jwthomp]

OK, so Mountain Prairie covers a lot of ground, and it seems most of the SSR owners in this region don't have that new-fangled Intey-Net thingy. Maybe it's the median Mountain-Prairie SSR owner's age or something. Maybe they're out driving their SSRs instead of workin' a keyboard. Now there's an idea...

Anyway, I have an idea from the Roll Call thread. How about posting an insider's review of your favorite local or regional attraction? That way, when other Fanatics are looking to come your way, they can get their own SSR-centric Fodor's guide to your back yard!

I'm reposting a quick writeup I gave on the Durango area, although there is a ton more to do there - I'll save that for future installments. I look forward to seeing where the cool places are from the rest of the locals.

[jwthomp]

Durango is a great jumping off point for a lot of what Southern Colorado has to offer. Cortez and Mesa Verde is a short distance away, and they are celebrating 100 years as a national park this year, with a lot of events planned throughout the summer. If hiking is your thing, the NPS is conducting hikes this year to Mug house - never before open to the public; and Oak Tree House - closed to the public since the 1930's.

If you have a day to kill, try the Durango and Silverton scenic railroad - travel by narrow gauge steam train to Silverton, have some lunch, and ride back.

You have a great selection of roads to take the SSR on. My favorite is 550 North over Molas Pass into Silverton. The drive is fun and the views are great, but it gets even better north of Silverton into Ouray. When you get to Ridgway, take 62 to Placerville and 145 to Dolores, then 184 to Mancos and 160 back to Durango. Take in the sights along the way. 145 roughly follows the old right of way of the storied Rio Grande Southern.

Something I like to do is rent a Jeep for a day and hit the Jeep trails. If you like 4-wheeling, there is something for every skill level in the San Juans. If you like life on the edge, Black Bear pass will give it to you - you can access it from Red Mountain Pass on Hwy 550 - just be prepared to buy the Jeep you rented, and make sure the life insurance is paid up. (If you're a novice or driving anything bigger than a Wrangler, don't do it.) Engineer Pass is rental jeep friendly from the Silverton side - you can head down into Lake City and head back over Cinnamon Pass back to Silverton for a fun day of four wheeling.

[Buffalo]

It's hard to pick one favorite drive in the Black Hills as there are so many to choose from. Hot Springs is a good starting point to begin with. Traveling north on 385 will take you to Wind Cave National Park (12 miles) where you will be able to take several different tours in one of the longest mapped caves in the world. (If you are into caves, Jewel Cave is within 35 miles of Wind Cave) Wildlife you will encounter driving through Wind Cave Park include bison, deer, prairie dogs, elk (early morning or at dusk), turkeys, coyotes, and antelope.

After Wind Cave turn north on 87 and proceed through Custer State Park (this is a fee area). A good side trip is to turn east on the Wildlife Loop Road at the fee booth and take a leisurely drive. At the end of the Wildlife Loop turn east on 16A/36 and head to the eastern side of Custer State Park. Just before exiting the park, you will pass another fee booth (one fee will cover several days) and you will want to turn north on 16A which is Iron Mountain Road.

Once on Iron Mountain Road, you will encounter several pigtail bridges as well as several tunnels. One of the tunnels you travel through will frame Mt. Rushmore very nicely. This road terminates near Keystone, SD, where you can stop for refreshments or shopping. Heading west from on 244 will take you to the monument where you can park and tour Mt. Rushmore.

Heading west again on 244, you will meet up with 16/385 where you can choose to go north to Hill City and Deadwood or go south to Custer and Hot Springs. There are many other drives you can take as the Black Hills is a very large area.

Randy