Colorado - Southwest Attractions

Archuleta County is one of eleven counties in the Southwest Colorado travel region. Most of the population is concentrated within the town of Pagosa Springs and its surroundings.

Bayfield is an administrative center for the San Juan National Forest, with numerous hiking and recreational activities nearby.

Ignacio was incorporated in 1913 and today is the supply center for the Southern Ute Indian Reservation and surrounding ranches. The town, Ignacio, was named for a Ute chief.

The Southern Ute Cultural Center in Ignacio is a museum devoted to the history and culture of the Ute people.

With over 40,000 residents, La Plata County has one of the largest populations of the eleven counties in the Southwest Colorado travel region. The main attractions are the Purgatory Ski Area and the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

Montrose County is one of eleven counties in the Southwest Colorado travel region.

Navajo State Park in Colorado is located on the shores of Navajo Lake, a 15,000-acre reservoir that extends into New Mexico. The park is a popular boating and camping destination. The visitor center has exhibits about the lake, as well as Anasazi Indian artifacts.

Ouray County is one of eleven counties in the Southwest Colorado travel region.

Ridgway is an old railway town that was used as a film location for the movies "True Grit" and "How The West Was Won". Located on U.S. 550, Ridgway is about half way between Ouray and Montrose.

Ridgway State Park is located between Ouray and Montrose, just north of Ridgway. Ridgway State Park offers views of Mount Sneffels and numerous recreational opportunities such as swimming, hiking and biking trails, and fishing on the Ridgway Reservoir.

San Juan County is one of eleven counties in the Southwest Colorado travel region, with elevations ranging from 8,500 to 14,000 feet. The population of the county has been declining since 1910, particularly after the closing of the Sunnyside Mine in 1991. San Juan County now depends almost entirely on the tourism generated by the San Juan Mountains.

San Miguel County is one of eleven counties in the Southwest Colorado travel region. Its major attraction is the ski resort of Telluride.

The Southern Ute Indian Reservation is located in southwestern Colorado near the New Mexico border. There are traditional dances throughout the year, including the Bear Dance in late spring and the Sun Dance in the middle of the summer.

Towaoc is the headquarters of the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation is southwestern Colorado.

Uncompahgre National Forest includes over a million acres of mountainous terrain. The highest peaks in the forest are Uncompahgre Peak (14,309 ft), Mount Sneffels (14,150 ft) and Wetterhorn Peak (14,017 ft).

The Ute Mountain Indian Reservation is located south of Mesa Verde National Park in Montezuma County. It is administered from the town of Towaoc.

The Ute Mountain Tribal Park preserves ruins of the Anasazi culture on the Mancos River south of Cortez. The park is part of the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation with geological land formations, as well as petroglyphs, artifacts and dwellings.