Summer & Fall Attractions | Winter Attractions | All-Season Attractions
Attractions in Nearby Communities

Summer & Fall Attractions:

Golfing
With three course combinations available, the Pagosa Golf Club offers golfers of all levels a new challenge every day. The courses are located immediately adjacent to the Pagosa Lodge. The Piñon and Ponderosa courses wind gracefully through the hillsides. You can also play at the great golf courses of Rio Grande at Southfork and Dalton Ranch in Durango — inquire for details and special package prices with the Pagosa Lodge.

Hot Air Ballooning
Climb aboard a wicker basket and break the Earthly bonds of gravity. The hot air ballooning adventure begins shortly after sunrise when the mountain air is calm and stable. The gentle ascension reveals hidden canyons and valley's lush meadows, wildlife, and other enchanting sights as you rise into the cool, crisp crystal clear air of our mountain valley.

Mountain Biking
The sport of mountain biking has become very popular in this part of the country, Pagosa and Durango host national and international races, and the region has unparalleled trails and scenery for bikers of all ability levels. Mountain Bike rentals are available in the area.

Hunting
The entire Pagosa area is renowned for hunting of deer and elk and other wildlife. Two regular seasons and an early Bow hunting season bring hunters from across the country back to Pagosa Springs year after year.

Horseback Riding
Horseback riding, all day trail rides, ovenights, and hourly rides are available at several area ranches and stables.

Hiking
Experience the awesome sights and sounds of the San Juan Forest by parking your car near a trailhead and hiking up a trail that winds beneath the towering pine trees and next to a fast running mountain stream. Hikes can be geared to ability levels, and esteemed local and regional trails are many, including the Rainbow Trail, Four Mile, Martinez Canyon, Williams Lake, and many more. Trail maps and information are available from the Concierge at the Lodge. A new trails system including overnight huts is being built, sponsored by the Trails Council, and the first of these, the Turkey Springs Hut can be booked through the Forest Service by calling (970) 264-2268. The second hut, the Hotz Springs Hut, will be available later this summer. Additional information on the hut trails can be obtained by calling John Applegate, of the Trails Council at (970) 731-9325.

River Rafting
From late spring through early summer, a river rafting trip down the swift moving waters and rapids of the San Juan River provides a real wild west adventure, spinning through deep gorges, along quiet sunny backwaters, and plunging deep into the forest ravines, a variety of trips and trip lengths are available from local river outfitters.

Weiminuche Wilderness Area
Extending deep into the mountain ranges to the north and west of Pagosa Springs is the extensive and beautiful wilderness area known as the Weiminuche. Visitors can enter and enjoy the area through an extensive trail system, offering peace and tranquility and unparalleled natural beauty.

Fishing
Few areas can boast the quantity and quality of fishing waters that are located in the Pagosa area. Streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes are easily accessible and provide excellent and varied fishing opportunities. The gold medal fishing found on the San Juan River below the Navajo Dam at Navajo Lake offers superb fishing. More avid fly fishermen may prefer to hike upstream from a trailhead to fish some smaller streams and isolated wilderness lakes.

Waterfalls
There are many beautiful waterfalls in the Pagosa area, and many of them can be reached by reasonable hikes, depending on the weather and time of year. Piedra Falls, Silver Falls, Treasure Falls are just a few of these natural scenic wonders, and visitors enjoy the chance to see nature's own beauty in the wilderness which surrounds the Lodge.

Winter Attractions:

Skiing at Wolf Creek Ski Area
Because of the abundant snowfall, Wolf Creek offers a great skiing or snowboarding experience to anyone who visits the beautiful San Juan Mountains in Colorado. Each winter, families and groups are drawn to Wolf Creek's superior ski conditions. Two double chairlifts and two triple chairlifts, service more than 500 acres of beautifully groomed ski terrain, plus the new lift to Alberta Reservoir serves an additional 300 acres, which include the Alberta Peak Area and the Water Fall Area.

Cross Country Skiing
Cross country skiing has grown in popularity over the past several years. Groomed trails and unplowed U.S. Forest Service access roads provide good spots for beginner and intermediate cross country skiers visiting during the winter.

Snowmobile Tours
The Pagosa Springs area provides a wide variety of experiences for the snowmobiler. The incredible amounts of high quality snow, varied terrain, long season, and many easily-accessed trails are reasons for the popularity of this sport. Unplowed portions of U.S. Forest Service access roads and county roads offer ideal trails for snowmobilers.

Sleigh Rides
If you like adventure, to race across the crisp morning or evening snow on a sleigh. These picturesque rides are available by arrangement on a nearby rustic backwoods ranch.

All Season Attractions:

Pagosa Springs: Natural Mineral Hot Springs
The Great Pagosa Spring has been found to be the largest and hottest known geothermal pool in the world. Visitors and residents have the luxury of two mineral hot spring bath facilities with indoor and outdoor baths and water of varying temperatures, as well as a swimming pool entirely fed from the natural hot springs.

Fred Harmon Art Museum
Fred Harmon is a local artist who is famed for being the creator of the Red Ryder comic strip which featured figures from local and area history, the museum has examples of his art, memorabilia from the comic strip and more.

Shopping
There are a wide variety of great shops, galleries, boutiques and gift stores in Pagosa Springs, where you can wander and enjoy seeing all the local arts, crafts and gifts created by area artisans, crafts people, weavers, artists, and more. There are shops that sell things just made in Colorado, candy stores, art galleries that have local and area artists' work, book stores, camping and fishing and hunting equipment, and hand made furniture.

Attractions in Nearby Communities:

Navajo Lake Recreational Area
To the South and west of Pagosa, within reach of an easy drive, is the beautiful Navajo Lake State Park. The lake itself lies at the foot of high mesas, and the broad waters are surrounded by forest and virgin wilderness. Fishing and boating is popular in the summer and fall, and there are picnic grounds and trails. and camping grounds.

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway dating from 1882 attracts thousands of visitors to Southwestern Colorado each year. This is one of the few authentic steam-powers railways left in the world, using original and restored equipment and rolling stock, there are daily trains which travel through beautiful mountain scenery to the historic mining town of Silverton.

The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Steam Railroad
The Cumbres and Toltec Steam Railway runs from nearby Chama over a beautiful mountain pass to Antonito. It was built to serve the rich mining camps in the San Juan Mountains. It is America's highest and longest narrow gauge steam railway. The trip of 64 miles runs through beautiful peaks and gorges, through tunnels and over breathtaking trestles. It runs from Memorial Day weekend to mid-October.

Chimney Rock Indian Ruins
Two towering sandstone peaks can be seen for miles in the countryside west of Pagosa Springs. This is the Chimney Rock Archeological Area that contains the remains of the prehistoric Anasazi culture, the ancestors of the Puebloan Zuni and Hopi nations. The park is open in the summer months, and guided interpretive tours operate daily, and special moon viewing ceremonies and special events of Native American Dances occur throughout the summer and fall seasons, from May 15th through September.

Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park is truly one of the most amazing archaeological sites in the world. At the park, located in an easy drive through Durango and up onto the high mesas to the west of Pagosa, you will find extensive cliff dwellings nestled on the high ridges of a spectacular mesa complex, with breathtaking views across the entire region. These ruins, started by the Anasazi culture and then utilized by the Puebloan cultures which succeeded them, are open year round.

Creede Mining Town and Repertory Theatre
The historic silver mining town of Creede is located close to Pagosa Springs, just over the Wolf Creek Pass, and in the summer the renowned Creede Summer Repertory Theatre presents a varied array of theatrical presentations.

Sky Ute Casino - Southern Ute Indian Reservation
For those who enjoy the thrill of gaming, the Sky Ute Casino on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation is a short drive to the west, in Ignacio. All varieties of gaming are available, as well as entertainment and the facilities are open seven days a week.