Our cabins and private home rentals are within short driving distance to an abundance of activities, including archeological tours, Durango and Silverton train rides, horseback riding, rafting, fall foliage tours, hiking, fishing and hunting.
All of our seasons are just beautiful. Spring and Summer (May to September) are characterized by wild flowers, hummingbirds, and mountain streams.
Fall is the most spectacular season with the Aspen trees in their radiant yellow and gold colors quaking in the wind mid-September to mid-October.
Archeological Attractions
At Mesa Verde National Park, you will find wonderfully preserved cliff dwellings from the Anasazi culture. Mesa Verde ranks as a world heritage treasure. You can enjoy hiking and guided tours, 800-449-2288.
Just 40 miles from Vallecito Lake you will find Chimney Rock Archaeological Area. Here you will see the ghosts amidst the rubble of a dozen abandoned villages. A cluster of round pithouses form a village, each barely sunk before the diggers hit bedrock and ringed it with thick stone walls. This is a wonderful hiking experience, 970-264-2268.
Art Galleries and Museums
The Durango and Four Corners area is a great destination for art lovers. You will find recognized contemporary, Native American, and Southwest art collections. The gallery walks are a relaxing way to enjoy these incredible art works and the Center for Southwest Studies offer a unique experience to learn the history of the Southwest.
Dining
Vallecito Lake offers dining in and take out. Enjoy the cool breezes, blue skies and lake life while dining, enjoying a cocktail or two stepping to live music. Our local market and liquor store offer groceries, prepared food, and spirits for your picnics or meals at our cabins and private home rentals.
Hiking and Mountain Biking Trails
The San Juan National Forest and Weminuche Wilderness, over 2.5 million acres of public land, surround the Vallecito Lake. Several spectacular hiking trails are accessible from the Vallecito valley. One nearby is the two-mile challenge Lake Eileen Trail. Whether you are interested in bird watching, mushroom hunting, or just hiking, you will enjoy the natural beauty and relaxing environment of the trails that surround our cabins and private home rentals.
Historic Tours
In downtown Durango you will find educational and entertaining walking and trolley historic tours. The Animas Museum offers presentations about the history of the Animas, Durango and the Four Corners area.
Horseback Riding
Big Corral Vallecito Lake Outfitters offer horseback riding experiences that feature hourly, daily and special trips. Enjoy breakfast cooked over a campfire in a million year old forest. No trip to Durango or Southwest Colorado will be complete without this rugged backcountry and wilderness mountain horse ride, 970-884-9235.
Hunting
The area is renowned for hunting elk, mule deer, bear, and turkey. Some of the best hunting outfitters in the Southwest are in the Vallecito area.
- Big Corral / Vallecito Lake Outfitters 970-884-9235
- Rocky Mountain Outfitters 970-884-2074
- Great Divide Outfitters 970-884-2372
Fishing
Vallecito Lake is the perfect fishing vacation destination. Access to the lake is free of charge. You can also enjoy casual hikes, relaxing picnics, and sun bathing along the beautiful 22-miles shoreline. Vallecito Lake full service marinas offer fishing boats, pontoons, canoes, and paddleboats:
- Full Service Marina Angler's Wharf 970-884-9477
- Don Olivers Fishing Guide 970-382-0364
- Duranglers Fly and Supplies 970-385-4081
Jeep Tours
The San Juan and La Plata Mountains are spectacular destinations, particularly during late September and early October when the fall foliage colors are at their peak. There are numerous Jeep tours and atv trails that take you to some of the most beautiful spots of the Rocky Mountains.
You can get maps and detail information about the trails from the San Juan National Forest
- Mild to Wild Rafting and Jeep Tours 970-247-4789
- Outlaw River and Jeep Tours 970-259-1800
River Rafting and Kayaking Trips
Our area offers the best Colorado white water rafting and kayaking trips. Whether you are looking for level 5 rafting or just an enjoyable ride down the river, you and your family will enjoy great rafting experiences.
- Mild to Wild Rafting and Jeep Tours 970-247-4789
- Mountain Waters Rafting 970-259-4191
- Four Corners River Sports 970-259-3893
Tour of Carvings
The Tour of Carvings is a series of life-size woodcarvings in honor of the firefighters and individuals that assisted our community during the 2002 wildfires. You will experience an amazing and moving tour of 14 incredibly detail carvings, and we are certain you will be telling your friends about it.
Four Corners Wineries
Enjoy Colorado history and scenery by visiting Cortez and the Four Corners region near Mesa Verde National Park. McElmo Canyon, an emerald-green ribbon running through a towering slickrock canyon near the legendary Four Corners, was once home to the Ancestral Puebloan culture and a bountiful fruit growing region. Its sheltered climate is again producing classic European wine grapes, in between cattle ranches and archeological excavations. Visit www.coloradowine.com for locations and map.
Honeyville
A visit to the Durango area is not complete unless you stop at Honeyville on Hwy. 550. See the honey in production and enjoy flavorful honeys, homemade jams, jellies and sauces. Also enjoy tasting samples of some of Colorado’s finest wines.
Please also visit our site in the Colorado Directory.
Bear Paw Lodge