southwest - "ski" towns

Crested Butte (Ski Town)
Durango
Gunnison
Ouray (Our Favorite Colorado Town)
Pagosa Springs
Silverton
Telluride (Ski Town)

Southwest Colorado seems to put visitors under a spell. The area's beauty amazes, transfixing the eye. Blue crags jut between grassy meadows and plunge down to roiling white rapids. Brush-stubbled mesas yawn open, creating impossibly deep stone canyons. Hot springs bubble up from sources unseen, steam flaring. Just after sunset, distant ridges turn soft and gray, silhouetted against purple-pink skies.

The human landscape is as dramatic as the topography. Ghost towns and abandoned mines litter the San Juan Mountains, while on the high flats of the Colorado Plateau, nameless ruins bear witness to an ancient civilization. Mesa Verde National Park, Hovenweep National Monument and the Anasazi Heritage Center make this area an archaeologist's dream.

The towns of the Southwest march to their own rhythm. People are always on the move - biking, hiking, running, climbing, flying, boating, even occasionally working - yet nobody is in a hurry. Telluride, Silverton and Ouray - the divine trinity of the San Juans - pair stunning physical beauty with high culture, making them attractive retreats for starving artists and CEOs alike. Down the hill, Durango offers Western congeniality with just a hint of rebellious frontier spirit. And funky, friendly Crested Butte embodies the individualist essence of the West. Spend a few days in these upbeat locales and you'll be convinced that anything is possible. And truth be told, anything is possible in this dreamlike land.

Source: Colorado.com

Denver Area
Front Range
Northwest - Ski Towns
South Central