The high mountain passes of southwest Colorado are classic mining territory; dotted through the valleys you'll find all sorts of well-preserved late-Victorian frontier towns. As the pioneers moved in, first illegally and then backed by the federal government, they drove the Ute away into the poorer land of the far southwest.

From Durango , the main town of southwest Colorado, the dramatic San Juan Skyway completes a loop of over two hundred miles through the mountains, north along US-550 and then back via Hwy-145 and US-160. The stretch of road north of Durango, negotiating its way over stunning high passes, is known as the Million Dollar Highway for the gold-laden gravel that was used in its construction. Remote Crested Butte , to the north of the San Juan Mountains, is a gorgeous nineteenth-century mining village turned ski resort and one of Colorado's major attractions.

Southwest Colorado

• Southwest Colorado

Explore Southwest Colorado

• Cortez
• Crested Butte
• Durango
• Mesa Verde National Park
• Ouray
• Silverton
• Telluride
• Ute Mountain Tribal Park

Colorado cities


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