Southwestern Colorado

[Legman]

Hi all,
We’re looking at a 2week trip to this area and we want to visit Durango, Silverton, and Ouray. Need some help on the best RV park for home base so I can drive to the locations. Looks like Durango may be best home base but 1 1/2 hr drive to Ouray. Love to hear people’s thoughts who have been there?

Thanks!

[Windjammin]

When we were there 4 years ago we stayed at Lightner Creek CG just outside of Durango. Good location for Durango and Mesa Verde. Then we moved up to Ouray RV Park for Ouray, Silverton and Telluride.

[dbledan]

We went last year. Stayed at the Ouray KOA. It was great. The scenery was fantastic even in the campground. It's in a valley with some houses that look over it. You were blocks from scenic drives on road (million dollar highway) and off road (so many trails corkscrew gulch was one of our favorites). A few waterfalls in town. Lots of restaurants and shops but not too overcrowded or pretentious. We enjoyed renting a jeep in town and off roading a few days. The sites in town offer a bit more details on the trails than the campground did but everyone there was willing to help you out. We took our rented jeep out with a land cruiser club. They have some jeeps for rent in the koa but no real trail maps to offer. They were friendly and nice trail through the park. There were some black bears hanging about at night but the staff was keeping them at bay mostly from tent campers. There was also a great dog kennel nearby in town that would watch and entertain your pet individually. They even took pics in action.

Silverton seemed more like an orv community in town as there were lots of side by sides running around town but folks were kind and helpful. Not a ton in town. It is further removed from major civilization but a few beautiful places to camp just up the pass (no hook ups in the mountains so boondocking and they book up very early and some of the best you would not get a fifth wheel into even our 30ft would be a stretch due to terrain).

We loved the old mining towns in general.

We visited Durango. It was a nice community but more crowded and a bit of a college scene still where we hung out and we did not really like it as much as we thought we would. More suburban as a result. People were great here as well and the sites were good but far from Ouray and Silverton. Vale would be a really long day and that is where my wife wamted to go. We ended up not staying there because it would have taken us another 2 days to get there and back so we just took the truck in for a day trip. Kind of depends on which way you come from for homebase but Ouray is where I would spend my time again and a few boondock nights in the mountains by silverton.

We also spent a day in Vail which is over crowded, overpriced, and now also overly pretentious in my opnion. It was beautiful as well but I could only take a day maybe two max of it. I used to love it when it was more like Ouray...maybe that is just how I saw it as a kid in the winter[emoji6]. DW liked it as well.

We also stopped by Mueller state park for 2 nights on our way home and I wish we had stayed longer. The back in sites actually have some of the best views there.

Hopefully that helps.
First pic is KOA in ouray.
Second is end of the trail for corkscrew gulch due to trail closures
Third is mueller state park
Fourth is dog kennel in ouray (only one I believe)

[CHICKDOE]

we have stayed at lightner creek. it is ok but if your are tied to your cell phone or wifi it is probably not the place to stay. it is in a canyon and the coverage is minimal at the best.

we have also stayed at riverview rv park in bayfield which is about 15 miles east of durango. we absolutely love that place and are returning again this year.

there are 2 or 3 more rv parks north of town along the river and we have driven through them to check them out. all look fine.

i agree that durango itself is crowed. but it has all the services you would want.

[La Plata View]

I live just outside of Durango. So I know the area well but obviously not so knowledgeable on RV parks in the area. When we camp outside Silverton it's in undeveloped (dry camping) FS campgrounds or open NF.

It would be helpful to know what you want to do while you're here. Do you have a 4x4 so are able to go off road? Into hiking or fishing? When will you be here? There's lots to choose from.

Durango: Hiking in and around town. Take the narrow gauge steam train to Silverton. Fishing and hiking around Vallecito Lake about 35 minutes NE of town. The entrance to Mesa Verde NP is about an hour west (although the ruins are another 40 min into the park).

Silverton: As mentioned by others is a big off-road attraction. You can visit old gold mine sites and ghost towns, even take a tour into a gold mine. Drive the 4x4 Alpine Loop over to Lake City via one high altitude pass and return via another. Hiking & sightseeing opportunities abound.

Ouray: Cool little town situated at the end of what once was (before Otto Mears built the Million Dollar road) a box canyon. Hot Springs, hiking, strolling along main street, more off-road trails. If you want to venture further go about an hour north and check out Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP east of Montrose.

I do know there are nice looking campgrounds in all three of these towns. Some final thoughts. Please be aware of the challenges of driving between Durango & Ouray on Hwy 550. Narrow sections, switchbacks, steep drop offs and too much beautiful scenery to distract a driver. Depending on your abilities and the size of your rig this route can be challenging.

And the high altitude can cause issues for those not used to it. We're at 6,800' and mountain passes go over 10,000'. Stay hydrated - drink plenty of water - and go slowly until you know how you'll react.

[bubbles]

We've stayed at 3 campgrounds in Durango; Alpen Rose/United/Durango KOA Holiday. We don't have any issues with any one of them, although United would be the last choice even though the narrow gauge Durango/Silverton steam locomotive train passes right through the campground.

[Legman]

I like the idea of going to the Ouray KOA but want to get your thoughts about pulling my trailer up the million dollar highway. I’m going in July and would be going from Durango north. I pulled my trailer to Estes Park last year with no issues but I don’t know this road. I’m pulling a 25’ mini light with a 1/2 ton Nissan Titan V8. Did you have any issues up this road?
Thanks

[Dreedo]

I pull a 25' mini lite 2512 with a RAM 1500. Your set up will pull over the million dollar highway.... but the road is extremely narrow and has multiple tight turns and switchbacks. I'd recommend you google pics of the road before attempting. Going off the edge means a cliff drop of 1000 feet or more. I would certainly NOT recommend pulling a trailer on this road if you can avoid it.

[67L48]

When I want to visit Ouray and Telluride, I stay at Ridgway State Park. Highly recommended. It's about 45 minutes north of those two towns, so it's too far away from Durango to make that a convenient trip.

[jwfrede]

I've been to that area a number of times, summer and fall(mostly for the Aspens). Once at Ouray I stayed at the RV campground right in town. I liked being able to walk to a restaurant. Conveniently located to go down to Silverton and not too far to get into the mtns near Silver Jack Reservoir and to take a drive on the last dollar road towards Telluride.

On other stays in this area I went to Ridgeway State Park which is less expensive and has nice views as well as a more convenient location for going to the Dallas divide and the county roads for Aspen photography.

One note is that the million dollar highway just south of Ouray is a very tight road for long rigs.

[fanrgs]

On the question of towing your trailer from Durango to Ouray over the Million Dollar Highway, two questions come mind. Do you have a lot of experience with mountain towing? And, when you are towing, is your wife comfortable with very narrow roads, sheer cliffs, and a possible DP motorhome or two heading toward you and partially in your lane when rounding a tight curve?

If the answer to both questions is "yes", then by all means enjoy the beautiful drive. If the answer to either question is "no", take US 160 to Mancos and CO 145/62 to Ridgway, with a stop in the spectacular Telluride area. Then you can visit Silverton just driving your truck without the trailer. BTW, my wife and I have lived in Colorado most of our lives and Ridgway State Park has our favorite Colorado SP campground--Elk Ridge.

For more on routes, camping, and sightseeing in the San Juans, take a look at the US 160 and US 550 posts in my "Free Colorado RV Camping" blog HERE.

[dbledan]

Originally Posted by Legman

I like the idea of going to the Ouray KOA but want to get your thoughts about pulling my trailer up the million dollar highway. I’m going in July and would be going from Durango north. I pulled my trailer to Estes Park last year with no issues but I don’t know this road. I’m pulling a 25’ mini light with a 1/2 ton Nissan Titan V8. Did you have any issues up this road?
Thanks

I came in from the north and east via monarch pass towing a 30ft 7k trailer with an F150. It was very hot and had to slow down to allow the engine to cool once.

Million dollar highway is curvy and no guardrails in some places but I would not see major issues that would keep you from making it. There are a few steep grades but nothing terrible or hours long descents. There are lots of folks with larger RVs near Silverton that made it without issues from north and south.

I guess it depends on your confidence and what you dislike. I did the big horn mountains once....never again but aside from another 8% grade for 20 miles sure. I would also not do the trails outside of Rushmore in SD with a trailer but the million dollar highway should not be too bad. I would not do it at night with a trailer. I agree with what fanrgs said above as well.

If you made it Estes Park I would think you would be fine. You can check grades on RVtripwizard if you get a subscription if you have worries about the grades.

BTW the Ouray KOA has some new owners that appear to be making some improvements as well.

[Reverse_snowbird]

It's been a while, but that Million Dollar Highway was no fun driving it in a car.

We traveled by bus up to Silverton to catch the train going south a couple of years ago and highway repairs had one lane of alternate traffic open. Took forever.

I'd suggest you look on Google Maps. That 70 mile trip takes 1 hours and 45 minutes to drive. If you look on the map, there's a hairpin curve between Silverton and Ouray.

I'd follow fanrgs suggested route.

[fanrgs]

Unless the OP towed his trailer over Trail Ridge Road, he experienced no "mountain" roads on his way to Estes Park. The other routes are "mountain valley" roads that follow canyons from Boulder, Loveland, or Blackhawk to Estes. Those are completely different towing experiences than US 550 in the Uncompahgre Canyon or on Red Mountain and Molas Passes between Ouray and Durango. Only towing over Trail Ridge from Grand Lake to Estes would be comparable to the Million Dollar Highway.

My wife and I have driven US 550 scores of times and in all seasons in the past 57 years in cars, trucks, jeeps, State vehicles, and rental vehicles for both work and pleasure. One of our sons even went to college in Durango so he could take "skiing" as his PE credit! But I tow my fifth wheel from Ridgway to Durango via CO 62/145 and US 160.