Total Number of Days/Nights: Three
Highway 160
Gas-Saving Tips
Highway 160
Itinerary Summary: Once you cross the border, Highway 160 travels through arid sandstone cliffs and rolling hills dotted with juniper. Follow it into the lush mountainsides of the San Juan National Forest, and end up surrounded by the raw beauty of barren sand dunes.
Destinations Include
Trail of the Ancients Scenic and Historic Byway
Mesa Verde National Park
San Juan Skyway Scenic and Historic Byway
Durango
Chimney Rock Archaeological Area
Pagosa Springs
Alamosa
Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Three-day, One-way tour
From Four Corners Monument to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Miles: 274
Day one
Four Corners Monument
Check off four states from your travel itinerary just by standing still. At Four Corners Monument you can stand in four states at one time. Four Corners Monument is a unique man-made topographical feature where Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado connect. A bronze disk set in granite marks the exact point. The disk is split into quadrants, each section engraved with the seal of the state it is laying on. The monument is located on Navajo Indian Reservation land in an arid, desert climate where crisp skies stretch to the reaches of the horizon. Interpretive signs, a visitor center and a few vendor booths are also on site.
Trail of the Ancients Scenic and Historic Byway
Highway 160 traces a section of the Trail of the Ancients Scenic and Historic Byway. Here, the history of Ancestral Puebloans is on display, as evidenced by the remnants of their elaborate cliff dwellings and rock art. A slight detour on Hwy. 145 north to the town of Dolores brings you to the Anasazi Heritage Center, where historic artifacts and interpretive exhibits provide in-depth details about the area’s history.
Mesa Verde National Park
The indelible mark left by the Ancestral Puebloans culminates at Mesa Verde National Park. This park—dedicated to the impact these enterprising peoples made upon the area—showcases some of the finest preserved and reconstructed cliff dwellings in the world. Park rangers offer tours through a number of the dwellings, and self-guided tours are also available. While no one knows precisely how these people lived, nor why they pulled up roots and left, the information provided by the park provides educated insight after years of study.
The park offers established campgrounds with showers and toilets. If you prefer to tour the park during the day and retire to a soft pillow and cable TV, the towns of
Cortez,
Mancos and
Dolores have hotels available.
Day two
San Juan Skyway Scenic and Historic Byway
While this byway stretches for more than 230 miles in total, Hwy. 160 traverses 60 miles of the southern leg. This route skirts the southern reaches of the San Juan National Forest and the San Juan Mountain Range. The San Juan Range is a quintessential Colorado scene, displaying jagged peaks and innumerable valleys that venture deep into forested thickets. A sharp contrast from the otherwise arid landscape through which travelers headed east have already passed.
Durango
The San Juan Skyway Scenic and Historic Byway leads visitors to the town of Durango. Once a hub for gold prospectors, the area has since become the portal for outdoor enthusiasts. It’s a town where nature-lovers test their mettle on the trail, in the snow on Durango Mountain or on the water along the Animas River. If you're a history buff, you'll want to climb aboard the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. This still-functioning steam locomotive will power you along narrow gauge tracks from the town of Durango to Silverton and back again on a 45-minute tour. Watch the steam erupt from the boiler and out the stack as pistons drive the train through the rugged San Juan National Forest. A tour guide narrates the trip as you chug along the tracks.
Chimney Rock Archeological Area
Sitting above a well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan site looms a natural monolith of sandstone called Chimney Rock. In the shadow of this geological wonder are Ancestral Puebloan sites consisting of structures built nearly 1,000 years ago. The buildings were constructed atop a ridge and offered original settlers of the area an unsurpassed view of their surroundings. Now, they are open for you to see up close on a guided tour. It’s thought that Chimney Rock was seen as sacred in the Ancestral Puebloan community. Because of this, the community found there may have been religiously centered.
Pagosa Springs
End the day in the town of Pagosa Springs, where natural, mineral-enriched hot springs bubble from the ground and are collected in pools that sit as centerpieces of idyllic resorts. In the winter, you can take to Wolf Creek Ski Area—just a short drive away and always one of the first resorts in the state to open. No snow? No worries—the San Juan River also runs along the edge of town and offers on-water activities, including fishing, kayaking and rafting.
Day three
Alamosa
Following the highway over Wolf Creek Pass (10,850 feet) and through the Rio Grande National Forest will take you to Alamosa. This town is surrounded by two national wildlife refuges—Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge to the west and Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge to the east. Because of this, the area offers some of the state’s premier birdwatching. The town is also a starting point to
Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway which leads you to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Colorado is home to North America's tallest sand dunes. Standing more than 750 feet high, these wind-shaped dunes are set against the backdrop of the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Wilderness Area. The park encompasses more than 30 square miles of unique landscape. Don’t let the sandy name persuade you into believing it’s pure desert, though. The park is comprised of lush forests, sky-scraping peaks and a variety of wildlife.
In winter, patches of snow dot the dunes turning them into impromptu ski slopes, where skiing, snowboarding, sledding and snowshoeing are common practices. This novel approach to skiing doesn’t stop when the snow melts, either. Summer visitors are encouraged to bring skis or a snowboard and hit the sand instead of the snow. Think of it as a ski slope where fine sand replaces snow, and an invigorating hike substitutes for high-speed lifts. For a more traditional activity, hiking or backpacking these mountains of sand is also allowed.
With 88 car-camping and tent sites spread out over more than 33,000 acres, the park gives you a wealth of locations when staying the night.
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Gas Saving Tips According to the Federal Trade Commission
On the Road
- Drive the speed limit. Your vehicle generally logs the best gas mileage at speeds under 60 miles per hour.
- Avoid quick starts and stops. Gas mileage improves by up to 5 percent if you avoid jerky starts and stops.
- Don’t sit idle. Turn off the engine when waiting.
- Combine trips. A warm engine uses half as much fuel as several short trips taken from a cold start.
- Remove excess weight. An extra 100 pounds, especially in your trunk, can reduce fuel economy by up to 2 percent.
- Avoid driving with items on top of your car. Items on your roof rack can create wind resistance and reduce fuel economy.
Help From Your Mechanic
- Maintain a healthy engine. Regular engine maintenance can increase gas mileage by an average of 4 percent—depending on your car’s engine condition.
- Properly inflate and align tires. Gas mileage can be improved by up to 3 percent.
- Change your oil. Use the manufacturers recommended weight.
- Have clean air filters. Clean filters can increase gas mileage by 10 percent.
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updated: 10/09/0
