20 Attractions to Explore Near San Juan National Forest

This is a sacred place that celebrates the life of Ancestral Puebloans over 1000 years ago. It lies on 4,726 acres of San Juan National Forest land surrounded by the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. Housing approximately 2,000 ancient Pueblo Indians between AD 925 and 1125, the settlement included a Great House Pueblo with round ceremonial rooms, known as kivas, and 36 ground-floor rooms.

A majestic peak in the San Juan Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. It is an isolated forest and woodland providing habitat for wildlife including mule deer, elk, golden eagles, mountain lions, bobcats, and occasionally, bald eagles. UIt is also a good trekking destination and also there is so many things to see and do.

This is a stunning half-day hike in the magnificent Kluane National Park, Yukon Territory. Enjoy this 12.9-km out-and-back trail near Destruction Bay, Yukon. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 4 h 18 min to complete. This trail is great for backpacking, hiking, and trail running, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring.

Yellowjacket Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.373m above the sea level, located in Archuleta County, in southwest Colorado, USA. It is one of the scenic route and is famous among the riders.

A beautiful lake nestled against the San Juan Mountains. Enjoy hiking, fishing, or a scenic picnic. it surrounds a park featuring lakefront, wooded, and hillside terrain. Lake Pagosa is the largest of the four stocked fishing lakes in Pagosa Lakes.

Navajo State Park is a major recreational facility in southwest Colorado, drawing more than 300,000 visitors every year. Its area is 15,000 acres, and it has 150 miles of shoreline in two states. Park activities include boating, houseboating, fishing, camping, and wildlife viewing. There is a New Mexico state park at the southern end of the lake.

The Coyote Hill Ski Trail system consists of over 11 kilometersIt is actually two parallel trails, with an equestrian trail on the northern levee and a bicycle trail on the southern levee, connecting with the Coyote Hills' Bay View bike trail. of groomed routes suitable for classic and skate skiing.

Rio Blanco is a stream that is tributary of the San Juan River in southern Colorado, United States. The stream originates in the San Juan Mountains and flows for 30 miles through the San Juan National Forest and private lands to its confluence with the San Juan River in Archuleta County, Colorado.The river also features native cutthroat trout and introduced rainbow trout fishing.

Echo Canyon Reservoir was constructed in 1969 in the Meadow Valley Wash, approximately 10 miles downstream from Eagle Valley Reservoir in Lincoln County. The 65-acre reservoir presents the perfect place for boating and swimming and is home to a variety of waterfowl, including mallards, teals and herons.

The San Juan Riverwalk is a paved path running along the San Juan river in Pagosa Springs. It's an easy walk with great views of the Hot Springs. Watching the rafters go by, seeing all the birds, it was really enjoyable and it has access to free hot spring pools.

Pagosa Springs is located approximately 35 miles north of the New Mexico border, at 7,126 feet above sea level on the Western Slope of the Continental Divide. This combination of high desert plateau and the Rocky Mountains to the north and east creates an unusually mild climate, especially in the summer months. Pagosa sees around 300 days of sun each year, as well as four distinct seasons.

A majestic historical museum located on the former James King farm which was homesteaded in the 1880s. It consists of the original farmhouse, carriage house, root cellar and milk house in addition to the first San Juan County jail, a pioneer log cabin, and a barn and resource center. The history museum includes 19th and 20th century life on San Juan Island, featuring photographs, pioneer stories, and a blend of cultures that have shaped the island over the years.

Tucked into the rolling hills of Archuleta County, there's a small, hidden refuge to animals that call the Rocky Mountains home.This privately owned and operated facility since 1986 has been educating the people about the importance of animals in the ecology of that area. The animal enclosures of Rocky Mountain Wildlife Park are so beautifully created on the theme of their natural habitat that the animals thrive here peacefully and are totally cool with the proximity of the humans.

The Southern Ute Museum and Cultural Center is an iconic facility highlighting the Southern Ute people through cultural, historical, and current event exhibits. It’s found in the town of Ignacio, just a thirty minute drive southeast of Durango.The building features contemporary materials reminiscent of traditional structures and fills in missing elements in design awareness across the Western Hemisphere's Indigenous architecture. The museum also houses 1500 artifacts.

Vallecito Dam is on the Pine River, 18 miles northeast of Durango. The dam is a zoned earthfill structure 162 feet high and 4,010 feet long.It impounds the Los Pinos River for irrigation water storage. The dam is owned by the Bureau and is operated by the local Pine River Irrigation District. Recreational opportunities include fishing, hunting, boating, camping and hiking.

Graham Peak is a prominent mountain summit in the San Juan Mountains , a range of the Rocky Mountains System in southwestern Colorado hike to the top of Graham Peak assures solitude and excellent desert views. From the summit of Graham Peak you will have expansive views of the Great Basin Desert.

Middle Peak is a high and prominent mountain summit in the San Miguel Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,306-foot peak is located in the Lizard Head Wilderness, 17.1 miles west-southwest of the Town of Telluride, Colorado, United States, on the drainage divide separating San Juan National Forest and Dolores County from Uncompahgre National Forest and San Miguel County.

West Fork San Juan River is a tributary of the San Juan River in southern Colorado in the United States. The stream flows from a source near South River Peak in Mineral County to a confluence with the East Fork San Juan River in Archuleta County that forms the San Juan River.

The earthen dam is a project of the United States Bureau of Reclamation and was completed in 1963, at 284 feet high and 1,360 feet long at its crest. The dam impounds the Florida River for flood control and irrigation water storage, operated by the local Florida Water Conservancy District. 120 kW of hydroelectric power is generated here.

Lemon Dam is a zoned earthfill structure with a structural height of 284 feet and a crest length of 1,360 feet. This beautiful reservoir offers a wealth of incredible outdoor activities to enjoy while vacationing. The dam impounds the Florida River for flood control and irrigation water storage, operated by the local Florida Water Conservancy District. 120 kW of hydroelectric power is generated here.