Southwest Region of Colorado
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Overview
Cities/Towns & Counties in this Region

Overview
Resort towns, historic towns with a strong mining background, plus a love for performing arts, gives this region a diverse personality. The terrain ranges from ocher mesas to the San Juan Mountains and  fields of wildflowers to volcanic rock landscapes. This region is home to the famous Mesa Verdi National Park and the mystical gorge known as the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

Attractions include trails into the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park; hot springs in Pagosa Springs; cliff dwellings at Hovenweep and Canyons of the Ancients National Monuments; Santa Rita Park; Mesa Verde National Park; the Anasazi Heritage Center; Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad; Weminuche Wilderness Area; Chimney Rock Archaeological Area; San Juan Mountains; Ouray Ice Park; Lake San Cristobal; Crawford State Park; Crested Butte Center for the Arts; Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Msueum; Mountain Bike Hall of Fame Crested Butte; Fort Uncompahgre History Museum; Diamond Circle Melodrama; Durango and Silverton Narrow Guage Railroad and Museum; Gunnison Arts Center; Gunnison Pioneer and Train Museum; Ute Indian Museum; Navajo State Park; Ridgway State Park; Old Hundred Gold Mine Tour; Paonia State Park; and more.

Activities include hiking, biking, skiing, rafting, kayaking, fishing, music festivals, rodeos, ski, snowshoe, cross country ski, dude ranches, and more.

Scenic Drives include Cliff Palace Road in Mesa Verde National Park, Million Dollar Highway from Silverton to Ouray, San Juan Skyway National Scenic and Historic Byway, West Elk Loop Scenic and Historic Byway, Alpine Loop Scenic and Historic Byway, Grand Mesa, Silver Thread, Trail of the Ancients, Unaweep-Tabeguache and more.

Cities/Towns & Counties in this Region: Includes Almont, Arboles, Bayfield, Cedaredge, Chimney Rock, Cortez, Crawford, Crested Butte, Delta, Dolores, Dove Creek, Durango, Gunnison, Herperus, Hotchkiss, Ignacio, Lake City, La Plata, Mancos, Marble, Mesa Verde, Monarch, Montrose, Naturita, Norwood, Nucla, Olathe, Orchard City, Ouray, Pagosa Springs, Paonia, Pitkin, Rico, Ridgway, Silverton, Somerset. Telluride, Towaoc, Uravan, Vallecito Lake,