See what I did, my recommendations, and how I rank Pagosa Springs, Colorado
If you want to see a video going inside the hot springs click here or a video about the best hikes click here
To see articles about the Pagosa Springs Hot Springs, best places to get coffee, best hikes or best breweries click those links!
Saturday, July 18, 2020
Weather: 80/51 Distance: 2.2 We made the drive from Phoenix to Pagosa Springs which took us about 8 hours. The drive isn’t the most scenic as it’s mostly in the middle of nowhere Arizona which is mostly just desert. After we checked in we decided to just relax and enjoy dinner on our patio that had an awesome mountain and lake view.
Sunday, July 19th, 2020
Weather: 84/50 Distance: 3.8 One of the first stops in any new city is to check out the local coffee scene so we cruised over to Higher Grounds to grab some coffee. The coffee and lemon bar were both really good and they have a little patio that you can sit at to enjoy the weather. We then took our coffee downtown and walked along the river.
Once we were done we headed out to Opal Lake for a hike. Opal Lake is a 2.3 mile out and back hike which was pretty easy and was filled with Aspen trees and a lake at the end. It was about 20 miles from downtown. About halfway out you’ll end up taking a dirt road which makes your drive out a little longer than you think it’ll be.
Today’s hike was Treasure Falls which is about 15 miles northeast of Pagosa Springs off U.S. Highway 160 you’ll find Treasure Falls. It is a 0.6 mile heavily trafficked trail with about 300 feet of elevation. It has a waterfall and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, and snowshoeing and is best used from May until November. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
We again spent the evening at home enjoying the view and just relaxing.
Tuesday, July 21st, 2020 Weather: 79/54 Distance: 4.7 We went to Ouray and I highly recommend you check it out. The city is surrounded by gorgeous mountains and is a cute little mountain town. Wednesday, July 22nd, 2020 Weather: 79/54 Distance: 1.9 One of the most iconic things in Pagosa Springs is to check out the Hot springs. Fun fact, it is the World's Deepest Measured Geothermal Hot Spring which is cool but wont earn you a lot of bragging rights when you tell your friends. But the springs do provide you with 24 soaking pools that vary in temperatures from 83-114 °F (28-46 °C). These temperatures change throughout the day and receive rich mineral waters from the geothermal hot spring.
We then grab some beers at Riff Raff and Riff Raff on the Rio. Both were cool and offer a variety of house brewed beers which were interesting. But, if you only had time for one I’d take the one on the rio, or river, because it has a better view.
Thursday, July 23rd, 2020
Weather: 79/48 Distance: 5.9 Needing to shake it up again we checked out Boulder Creek Coffee to see what they had to offer. This was probably my least favorite coffee place but they do have pastries that were really good! Today’s hike consisted of going out to the Continental Divide. The continental divide is a 3,100 Mile trail that stretches from South America to Alaska in North America. It is one of the most significant trail systems in the world because it separates the watersheds that drains into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain into the Atlantic Ocean. From the Wolf Creek Pass rest stop on US 160 you can either go north on the continental divide and take a 5 mile hike to the lookout or drive to the top and pick it up from that point.
Lobo Overlook
If you go souther from the rest stop you hike into Wolf Creek Pass which is a ski resort and leads you to Alberta’s Peak
Friday, July 24th, 2020
Weather: 72/56 Distance: 3.9 This was our last day so we took it easy before taking the long trek back home. We had one last coffee place to check out which was Lifted. The coffee was good but they had a small space. We went back to Roothouse to get some coffee to take home. We also swung by Pagosa Bakery which has some tasty treats as well. We cruised around the downtown area looking for souvenirs but nothing stood out as something that was fitting what we wanted. We spent the rest of the day taking a walk around Lake Pagosa and just relaxing on the deck.
Pagosa Springs Perspective
Things To Do: 6/10
While in Pagosa there is quite a bit to do but it is all generally targeted to outdoorsy things. There is plenty of hiking, rivers, fishing, biking, camping, etc. They also have the hot springs you can check out! But, other than that the city is pretty limited in things to do, which isn't always a bad thing. When we went we were looking to get out of the hot Phoenix heat and this was the perfect place to go so we could be active and we had no problem sitting on the deck and relaxing at night. Food: 7/10 We didn't venture out a whole lot to eat but we did enjoy all the coffee, pastries, and beer we did have. Getting Around: 6/10 It is a small city but it is decently spread out. You will need a car to get around and with the downtown area being a two lane road the city can get backed up from time to time if you catch it just right. Overall: 6.5/10 This rating seems lower than how much I actually liked my time in Pagosa. I enjoyed all the hikes and thought the scenery was gorgeous. There were great coffee places to go to and a cute downtown area to check out the shops. The reason the ranking is low is because if you are looking for another else out of a travel destination than outdoor activities it may be har to find that here. I do highly recommend it though! Non-Obvious Pagosa Springs Recommendations:
What To Bring
See what I bring on all my trips here!
If you are interested in getting travel insurance I recommend TravelInsurance.com. They are considered one of best in the industry, you can easily compare coverages and get the right one for you. 
**This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you and allows me to keep the lights on around here. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I'm Jake, a dude interested in personal finance and travel creating the life I choose. In 5 years I went from living in a basement with Craigslist roommates to paying off 90k of debt, backpacking 3 continents, getting a house for myself and 5 rental units. Read my story in the about me section. All photos on the blog are from my travels
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