Colorado Trip #2- Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Mesa Verde

We finally flew back to hike more of Colorado after last being there in 2020. We took this trip at the beginning of October for our anniversary and in hopes of seeing beautiful fall foliage. It sure did not disappoint!

This was a tough trip to plan out because 1) in October, you lose daylight

2) These 2 parks are not close, and there is lots to see in between and all around

3) you never know what the weather is like!

It really was tough planning. All said and done, I think my itinerary was perfect (I may be a bit bias) and here it is:

Oct 3 tues evening

fly into Durango

flight 545 pm to 1035 pm, get rental car 11 pm

Drive to mesa verde motel and check in

Oct 4 Wednesday

Check out

7 am Breakfast- absolute bakery and cafe

Drive 50 minutes

Mesa verde National Park

Cliff palace 9 am

Balcony house 11 am

This is the steep ladder you climb.

Mesa verde loop

Lunch- far view terrace cafe

Travel to telluride 2.5 hours

Gondalo ride for sunset. It was so beautiful!

Dinner on the mountain

21 minutes to

Stay at Bivi hostel telluride

Oct 5 Thursday

Breakfast

Check out

hike lower blue lake 4.5 hrs

Lunch on trail

Travel to ouray-

-upper box canyon

-crystal lake on million dollar Highway

Dinner-

Colorado boy

Stay at box canyon lodge

Oct 6 friday

Breakfast at mineshaft

Drive to altitude rental

Rental 8:30 to 1215 pm, go to Yankee basin from camp trailhead

• I would do this again! But if you see snow then you don't go !

Drive the million dollar highway

Travel to silverton 1 hour

Get there around 115

Get lunch- Avalanche brewery

Durango train ride - Silverton express 245 pm. Starts in Silverton. 3.5 hours to Durango.

45 minutes in durango. *check out steamworks brewery, beers to go

Be back at van 7 pm

Return back to silverton 8 pm

• I enjoyed the train ride the way we did it- ride the train from silverton to durango then ride in a van back, otherwise its a longggg day

Dinner at goldmark bbreweryin silverton

Drive back to ouray

Oct 7 Saturday

Breakfast at box canyon lodge

Use hot springs

Check out

Travel to :

Black canyon of gunnison

South rim

Warner point nature trail 1.5 mi

painted wall .2 mi

Drive down to East portal road for trail

Lunch-horsefly brewing

Travel to grand mesa national forest - hike mesa lakes and lost lake

Travel

Check in aspenalt lodge

Dinner - woody creek tavern or tipsy trout

Oct 8 sunday

Check out

Travel to maroon bells from aspenalt-

Be there 7 am aspen highlands parking

Absolutely loved these beautiful mountains but did not love how touristy it was ! I can only imagine what it be like without reservations!

Travel to Denver:

White river national forest

Independent pass

Lunch at twin lakes

fly home Denver, drop rental off 530

Flight 730 to midnight $345

I love Colorado! I think we really lucked out with the weather on this trip. I hope this helps someone plan their next adventure !