Rio Grande County: Nature, History and Special Experiences
Accommodation in Rio Grande County
Rio Grande County combines wide-open landscapes, unusual nature experiences and a varied history. Between wetlands, rock formations, mining history and traditional events, you will find different opportunities for shared vacation days. Choosing a vacation rental or holiday home can be tailored well to the activities you want to pursue: nature observation, hiking trails, culture or winter experiences each set different priorities.
Wildlife, Rocks and Varied Trails
A special destination for nature observation is the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. Its wetlands are intensively managed as a habitat for waterfowl. A 2.5-mile Wildlife Drive, the Meadowlark Nature Trail and several viewpoints offer different ways to explore the landscape. Anyone who enjoys being outdoors can combine this selection with additional routes.
Elephant Rocks extends for five miles as a formation of monolithic boulders through shortgrass prairie and shrubland. The Lookout Mountain Park Trails offer eight miles of natural singletrack routes for hikers, runners, cyclists and horseback riders. The Middle Frisco Trail #879 is 6.3 miles long, designated as an alpine route for mountain bikers and hikers, and ends at Frisco Lake. More than 9.5 miles of non-motorized singletrack also lead through the rugged rock-block canyons of the Stone Quarry Trail System. When planning accommodation, it can therefore be crucial whether you primarily want to combine nature observation, hiking, cycling or different activities.
Penitente Canyon and Winter Experiences
Penitente Canyon offers almost 300 technical climbing routes. South-facing routes in the Recreation Area can be climbed year-round. Trout fishing is also possible there in La Garita Creek. The canyon also has a cultural and historical dimension: For Los Hermanos Penitente, a small Catholic group, it was a place of worship.
Rio Grande County has approximately 300 miles of groomed snowmobile trails as well as ungroomed side routes, open parks, meadows and hills at elevations ranging from 8,200 to 12,000 feet. Wolf Creek Ski Area has 1,600 skiable acres and 10 lifts. These details help put an active-focused stay into perspective without limiting the trip to a single season. Del Norte Riverwalk Park provides access to the Rio Grande for swimming, wading, tubing and stand-up paddling.
History, Culture and Events
The Rio Grande County Museum & Cultural Center provides insights into the county's past and the history of the early settlers. The Rio Grande County Museum hosts programs for adults throughout the year, including tours of local rock art as well as presentations by local historians and archaeologists. The Transportation of the West Museum displays early forms of transportation used in the San Luis Valley between the valley floor and the mining camps.
Individual places also tell stories from different eras. The Monte Vista Cemetery Chapel was built in 1912 and is considered an unusual example of the Craftsman style in Monte Vista and Rio Grande County. Summitville Historic Mining Camp was the site of one of the earliest gold discoveries in Colorado's San Juan Mountains. La Garita Natural Arch formed within a volcanic dike and is approximately 40 feet high and 30 feet wide.
Among the defining events is the San Luis Valley Ski Hi Stampede Rodeo, founded in 1919 and a sporting event sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. The SLV Ski Hi Complex in Monte Vista hosts rodeo events and trade shows. The benefit music festival Rhythms on the Rio takes place annually in Del Norte in early August. Anyone wishing to take such dates into account should adjust their travel planning to the respective event period.
Places and Landscape Orientation
For a drive through the region, the Silver Thread Scenic Byway is a good option; it runs along State Highways 149 and 149A. It begins in South Fork, a town in Rio Grande County, and ends in Gunnison. Other places useful for regional orientation are Monte Vista and Del Norte. The starting point of the Pronghorn Trail System is located on Rio Grande County Road 13, 1.5 miles south of Del Norte; the route is 9.5 miles long. This allows you to consider specifically when searching for accommodation whether culture, water, trails, events or a scenic and varied drive should be the focus of your stay.
For the overarching travel overview: Colorado.
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