Inspiring travel stories, tips, and guides from a couple exploring the world one destination at a time.
Dolores is located in the southwest corner of Colorado and is at an elevation of about 6,900 feet. Within an hours drive to the east is Telluride and Durango, Colorado. To the west is Utah. Within a 30 minute drive of Dolores is Mesa Verde National Park, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, and Hovenweep National Monument. We last visited southwestern Colorado about 2 years ago in the spring. The area is rich in Indian ruins and numerous sites of the Anasazi.
Pagosa Springs is located in Southern Colorado in the San Juan Mountains at about 7,000 feet elevation. Overall, for Colorado, it has a milder climate because it’s just north of New Mexico, has over 300 days per year of sunshine and is located west of the continental divide.
Last Updated: May 24, 2026
From Zion National Park in Utah, we traveled to the southwestern corner of Colorado to explore the remarkable concentration of Ancestral Puebloan ruins scattered across Mesa Verde National Park, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, and Hovenweep National Monument.
