San Juan Skyway
Telluride to Cortez, Colorado

San Juan Skyway view of Mountains

As you leave Telluride, you'll cross 10,222 foot Lizard Head Pass. Along this stretch of road you'll pass so many impressive mountains, you'll never remember all their names. At least, I can't remember all their names.

So here's what I do know. I think the mountain above is Sunshine Mountain, or at least, it's near Sunshine Mountain, in between Telluride and Ophir...

San Juan Skyway view of Mountains

... and this one is about 10-15 miles south of the first, probably at Lizard Head Pass. If you can help me name them, feel free to email me.

San Juan Skyway view of Mountains

After passing by a blur of mountains, the San Juan Skyway heads downhill towards flatter land, around the city of Cortez. The sun set behind these hills, which appeared quite small compared to their San Juan neighbors.

Spend the night in Cortez. I decided to cover a little more distance (46
miles), and stop in Durango, but I paid a hefty price for it. The cheapest motel I could find in the tourist town was around $110. Cortez will almost definitely have cheaper rooms. In a pinch, you could also drive south into New Mexico, and stay in the Farmington area, for much less.

On the way to Durango, I passed up one attraction that's certainly worth seeing: Mesa Verde National Park. It's on my list of places I must see on a return trip, but until then, I'll direct you to the NPS website for a look at the park's ancient pueblo ruins and cliff dwellings.

From Cortez to Durango, take US Rte. 160. The entrance to Mesa Verde National Park is about 10 miles east of Cortez.

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Keywords:
Colorado Telluride San Juan Skyway Lizard Head Pass Sunshine Mountain Ophir Cortez

San Juan Skyway Telluride to Cortez, Colorado

San Juan Skyway
Telluride to Cortez, Colorado