Durango & the San Juan Skyway

Day 1: Arrive in Durango 
Day 2: Durango - Cortez, 46 mi. 
Day 3: Dolores - Telluride, 65 mi.
Day 4: Telluride - Ouray,  50 mi. 
Day 5: Ouray to Silverton, 23 mi. 
Day 6: Silverton - Durango, 50 mi. 
Day 7:  Depart from Durango

Day 1: Arrive in Durango
Durango has been named one of the top ten small towns in America and you will soon see why. Mountain vistas surround this evening you will meet as a group at the Steamworks Brewing Company for a pre-tour meal and entertainment. Durango

Accommodation: The Strater Hotel 
The historic Strater Hotel has hosted guests in comfortable elegance since 1887. The hotel is remarkably well preserved and is a fine example of Victorian architecture, with its stately brick exterior and beautifully appointed interior.  The Strater is part of Wild West lore hosting guests traveling by stage since 1887.

Day 2: Durango - Cortez, 46 mi. 
The first leg of your journey around the San Juan Skyway leads to Cortez, Colorado. It’s located near the Four Corners area where the states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico meet and form perfect right angles on each side. The town sits along the Trail of the Ancients Scenic & Historic Byway surrounded by grandiose and majestic mountains.

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Cortez

Day 3: Dolores - Telluride, 65 mi.
Short morning transfer to Dolores. The ride today is a tough one, mostly uphill, and you will encounter the first proper pass of this adventure, Lizard Head Pass. The payoff is Telluride itself. This is a town worth pedaling to. Think of the cold beer waiting for you in one of the most beautiful spots around. You may add on 11 miles by starting directly from your hotel in Cortez.

Telluride was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1964 because of its significant role in the history of the American West. The scenic town is surrounded by rugged mountain peaks. High above the town, located at 9.500 feet is Mountain Village linked with Telluride by a spectacular, 13-minute ride on a free gondola, the first and only free public transportation system of its kind in the United States.  Mountain Village will remind you of Europe and rivals alpine elegance anywhere.  You will enjoy taking the gondola to watch the sunset.

Accommodation: The Hotel Telluride
The Hotel Telluride is a boutique chalet with a European feel, the perfect place to stay while in Telluride.

Day 4: Telluride - Ouray,  50 mi. 
The ride from Telluride to Ouray is majestic. You will cycle along streams with postcard-perfect mountains as your backdrop. The second climb of the Skyway is encountered today and actually begins with a fun and fast downhill start before looping around and heading up the Dallas Divide.  The divide is not a difficult climb but has a tendency to sting a bit after the downhill start and the previous day's ride.  The top of the divide leads along the river again and up to a beautiful vista with striking views of the next day’s route. Descending the east side of the Dallas Divide, you roll into the town of Ridgway. Ridgway is a small town that features the only spotlight in the whole county. Ridgway is also known as the setting for John Wayne’s film True Grit among others. This ride finishes in the "Switzerland of America": Ouray, Colorado.

 Tonight you will sample brews from the Ouray Brewery, celebrating your conquests!

Accommodation: Hot Springs Inn
The Hot Springs Inn is situated on the banks of the Uncompahgre River and each room features a riverfront deck. Relax after your cycling day in one of the hot tubs!

Day 5: Ouray to Silverton, 23 mi. 
On this leg, you will ride out of the Cirque that surrounds Ouray on three sides and head up and over Red Mountain Pass.  Riding the pass is really three stages, the initial climb out of Ouray, the mid-mountain valley, and the final kick to the top. The first portion is the hardest and with the famous narrow “bike lane”. The valley is beautiful in all seasons with wildflowers or fall color. Beginning in the valley all the way to the top are old mines and mine settlements that make this ride not only beautiful but also historically interesting. One of the tunnels goes all the way to Telluride under the mountain. After a long climb you will drop like a stone all the way into Silverton. The descent is nothing short of epic!  While this ride is short, you ride the Million Dollar Highway, with scenery unsurpassed anywhere. The result of your effort is highly rewarded in the town of Silverton, an old school mining town that looks much the same as it did in the late 1800s. Silverton’s downtown architecture reflects early-mining affluence.

Accommodation: The Wyman
The historic Wyman is located in downtown Silverton and redesigned reflecting an eclectic modern contrast to Silverton's rugged mountains.

Day 6: Silverton - Durango, 50 mi. 
The ride from Silverton to Durango is a glorious day of downhill riding through high mountain splendor you will be talking about until you come back and do it again. Tonight we will celebrate our adventure with dinner before parting ways. Directly after leaving Silverton you begin the climb of Molas Pass. This climb is beautiful with the clouds lifting as you ride into the sky. At the top of Molas you are treated to a 360-degree panoramic view of the mountains, a short three-mile descent to the beginning of the Coal Bank Pass climb to the final summit of the adventure.  The climb is short and smooth and at the top you toast the summits before your 30-mile mostly downhill ride to Durango and you final celebration

Accommodation: The Strater Hotel 

Day 7:  Depart from Durango or prolong your trip

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Accommodations

On this adventure, you will be staying at a mix of hotels, small inns, and B & B establishments. Take a look at each day’s overnight accommodations and get excited!