8 Close-Knit Towns to Visit in Colorado
Community is all about connectivity, and in the state of Colorado—with its 400 and more breweries giving pints of beer to cement camaraderie—you will feel at home in the many welcoming towns to tour in Colorado. From world-class ski and snowboarding resorts high in the San Juan or Rocky Mountains to destinations close to Colorado’s national forests and natural parks, travelers will not forget the friendly atmospheres and accommodating attractions that each cozy town in Colorado exemplifies. Learn of each town’s compelling history and appreciate a plethora of experiences in the most close-knit towns to visit in Colorado.
Durango
Durango has been a major nexus for trade and commerce in Colorado since its founding by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in the year 1881. Even now, travelers can take vintage steam trains at the 19th-century Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in order to cross vast canyons and mountains and valleys. Individuals near and far can gain access to the wild woodlands of the San Juan National Forest as well as the rugged terrain of the San Juan Mountains, or you can experience the extreme thrills of the air via the Durango Adventures and Zipline Tours.
For those of you who are into watery wonders, you can always stroll about leisurely beside Haviland Lake and Lake Nighthorse, or follow the flow of the Animas River. Get invested in science at the interactive exhibits of The Powerhouse, formerly Durango’s powerplant, or see restored locomotives and aircrafts at the Railroad Museum. Since Durango was also a pivotal waystation for early coal mining, you can learn all about the early days of the industry either through the 13,000-foot-deep veins in Galena Mountain or at the historic mining town of Silverton. However you wish to proceed in Durango, remember to book a room in welcoming lodgings like the Antlers on the Creek Bed & Breakfast.
Mancos
About 30 minutes away from Durango, Mancos is also another convenient town next to the majestic wonders of the Mesa Verde National Park and the slopes of La Plata Mountains. Travelers can learn more about the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Mesa Verde National Park—which contains the ruins of the Pueblo people and the darkest and most uncontaminated night sky for you to see the Milky Way galaxy easily—vis-à-vis the Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center.
Get a great view of the Mesa Verde from a magnificent overlook called the Montezuma Valley Overlook. You might also enjoy fishing at the Jackson Gulch Reservoir and biking and hiking through the lush regions of the Mancos State Park. There are also several mountains—such as the Weber, Silver, and Lewis Mountains—for you to ascend their challenging slopes. So, for those of you eager to explore the “Gateway of the Mesa Verde,” you ought to book a room at the Mesa Verde Motel or Mancos Inn.
Carbondale
Approximately 30 miles from the city of Aspen and bisected by the Crystal River lies the oxygen-rich town of Carbondale. With the Rocky Mountains and the White River National Forest sandwiching this small town in the Roaring Fork Valley, Carbondale is a strong pocket of a community founded by potato farmers and silver prospectors. As a town with over 200 creative organizations for artisans and artists in the Colorado Creative Corridor, one can attend the annual Carbondale Mountain Fair on the last weekend of July to soak in the town’s aesthetic aura.
Deep within the nearby Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests, you can find several rustic and abandoned huts and shacks, such as the Crystal Mill during Carbondale’s silver-mining days. There are many more natural and artificial beauties to amaze you in Carbondale, so consider staying a while in warm abodes like The Distillery Inn or the Redstone Inn.
Crested Butte
Crest to the top of new beginnings and new experiences at the exhilarating small town of Crested Butte. Only about 74 miles south of Carbondale, Crested Butte is sheltered within the Rocky Mountains and is even closer to the National Forests of Gunnison, Uncompahgre, and Grand Mesa. It is also a bit closer to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area.
With its renowned ski resorts and mountain-biking trails accessible through the Crested Butte Mountain Resort, there is a cornucopia of extreme and exciting activities worth undertaking in the snow and heights of Colorado’s mountains. You ought to take the West Elk Loop Scenic and Historic Byway, which terminates towards wilderness areas such as Kebler Pass, replete with sublime, towering trees like Quaking aspen trees. You can also always ascend to the very tops of several mountain peaks, such as Mount Crested Butte. Regardless of your fun endeavors, you should try to rest up and recharge in warm hostels such as the Elk Mountain Lodge, the Old Town Inn, or Purple Mountain Bed & Breakfast.
Ouray
Feel all right and okay in the small town of Ouray. As the “Outdoor Recreation Capital of Colorado,” Ouray entreats newcomers to the splendors of Colorado’s untamed wilderness. From 12,000 to 14,000-foot-tall peaks in the San Juan Mountains, such as Uncompahgre Peak and Mount Sneffels, all the way to the Red Mountain Mining district, where thousands of old gold mines remain, Ouray promises a wide variety of attractions that will satisfy anyone’s fancy. Ouray is also known as the "Switzerland of America," which you can best discern from the Switzerland of America Lookout Point.
Venture into more of Colorado’s lush woodlands at the Uncompahgre National Forest. Partake in even more extreme sports at the Telluride Ski Resort. Go swimming in the clean waters of Ridgway State Park. Afterward, go hiking through scenic landscapes such as the Bridge of Heaven. And if you ever get exhausted from all the fulfilling exploration, settle down and spend your dreamy evenings at either The Imogene Hotel and Rooftop Bar, Hotel Ouray, or Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs.
Manitou Springs
Get a vacation from the big city of Colorado Springs by traveling only six miles west toward Manitou Springs. Not only is Manitou Springs a site of wellness and soulful replenishment, but it also houses relics of the past, as seen in the Manitou Cliff Dwellings, ancient stone-carved domiciles belonging to the Ute Native Americans in the 1200s. Spelunkers and zipliners will both enjoy the amenities offered by the Cave of the Winds Mountain Park, just as the towering mountain top Pikes Peak—accessible through several trails and treks like the Manitou Incline Trail—gives Manitou Springs its signature mineral springs that trickle down to the valley.
Probably one of the best landscape features in Manitou Springs is the powerful Garden of the Gods, with its 1,300 acres of unique sandstone formations like the Balanced Rock and High Point Overlook, in addition to historic domiciles like the Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site. When it comes to accommodations, Manitou Springs’ many establishments—Magnuson Hotel, the Pikes Peak Inn, and the Cliff House at Pikes Peak, to name a few—will give you all that you need.
Pagosa Springs
Approximately 60 miles east of Durango, the small town of Pagosa Springs soothes the woes and worries of many travelers with its famous hot springs in the San Juan Mountains. The Mother Spring aquifer, at over 1,002 feet of depth, has been certified by the Guinness World Record to be "The World's Deepest" hot water spring. Its rejuvenating and comfortable waters are connected to several other hot springs, such as the Springs Resort, The Overlook Hot Springs, and Healing Waters Resort & Spa, which also serve as lodgings for your interests.
At the Pagosa Springs History Museum, you can learn all about Pagosa Spring’s inception in addition to seeing quirky artifacts like the Oppenheimer chair. You might also fancy taking photographs of the Treasure Falls Observation Site, or visiting the Chimney Rock National Monument for the ruins of over 200 ancient Puebloan structures dating back to nearly a thousand years.
Vail
Through the hills and mountains and vales of Colorado, you will chance upon the vicarious village of Vail. As a resort town about two hours away from the city of Denver, Vail welcomes visitors and rewards their sojourn with all the surprises and wonders found in the shadow of Vail Mountain. The massive Vail Ski Resort promotes numerous skiing and snowboarding opportunities at your leisure, while the White River National Forest opens its arboreal arms to those enthusiastic to explore Colorado’s outdoors.
One can go fishing in a handful of pristine sites like Gore Creek and afterward trek through plentiful trails and routes like the Booth Falls Trailhead and up towards the many mountains surrounding Vail. Dive into the winter wonderland of Vail by huddling up in the coziness of Grand Hyatt Vail, Vail Racquet Club Mountain Resort, and other amicable accommodations.
Colorado derived its name from the Colorado River, which in turn got its name from Spanish explorers who called the red-silted mountain river the “Rio Colorado” (Colored River). For generations, this one corner of the Four Corners has been an epicenter for mining due to the abundance of minerals in the mountains. But those old mining towns have evolved and thrived into close-knit towns worth visiting in Colorado, each with its own amazing backstories and landmarks worth cherishing. Since it is illegal in Colorado to mutilate any rock in any of the state’s national parks, you best be respectful when you are traveling through the many sceneries and landscapes surrounding Colorado’s close-knit small towns.
