In my last post (Read Here!), I shared the details and adventures from the first week of our RV journey. We set up camp in Gunnison, Colorado, using it as a base for unforgettable day trips to places like Crested Butte, Lake City, and Crawford. From breathtaking hikes to checking off a National Park visit, every stop had something special to offer. And let’s not forget my nerve-wracking kayak ride down the Blue Mesa Reservoir—an adventure I won’t soon forget!
Now, join me as I take you through the next leg of our journey, where three new towns led us to even more memorable experiences.
Second Stop: Creede, CO
Our next campsite was Mountain Views at Riversedge RV Resort in Creede. While the location had its perks, I’m not sure we’d stay there again. The atmosphere felt less like a welcoming community and more like an exclusive club. The park was divided between luxury RV lot owners and those staying at the campsite, creating a noticeable divide. The campsite itself was mostly a gravel parking lot, but it did offer the convenience of full hookups and stunning mountain views. It was also a great starting point for a scenic morning run. The Rio Grande River ran alongside the park, giving my husband the perfect spot to spend an evening fishing. While we would love to visit Creede again, next time, we’ll be looking for different RV accommodations that better suits our style of travel.
North Clear Creek Falls
North Clear Creek Falls was an impressive waterfall that you can drive to, park, step out and look over to see. So, it was an easy activity to enjoy as a family. It was astonishing to see how flat the surrounding landscape was that we stood on, and to see how deep the crevasse of the Earth fell in order for this magnificent waterfall to exist. The falls were also down the road from the Weminuche Wilderness, Colorado’s largest wilderness, expanding to almost 500,000 acres. We spent a couple of hours exploring those roads when we came across Road Canyon Reservoir. It was a beautiful large body of water nestled between the San Juan mountains. Even though my husband did not have any luck catching fish in it, it was still a lovely, peaceful place to simply enjoy.
The Town of Creede
One of my favorite things to do in Colorado is visit the rustic mountain towns. I love the look of the historic buildings lined up down a short, dusty road – it always feels like you are stepping back in time to the wild, wild west days. And the town of Creede did not disappoint. It was another great family activity to spend the afternoon exploring the Main Street with our baby in her stroller and our Chihuahua tucked inside his hiking backpack. We grabbed lunch at Big Doug’s BBQ and my husband acquired fishing intel from the helpful team at Ramble House sporting goods store. We found that everyone we came across there was super friendly – we wish we had planned to stay there longer but it was just a quick 3-day trip.
Third Stop: Pagosa Springs
Pagosa Pines RV Resort in Pagosa Springs was another one of my favorites. It was full of trees, so it made you feel like you were much further outside of the town than you were. The place was well maintained, had beautiful landscaping, and attracted dozens of hummingbirds. It offered a short quarter mile walking trail and live music on the weekends. But as soon as we made it into Pagosa Springs, we realized it was not a town we were interested in. The area is known for its hot springs, but much like the town, it did not look like it was well maintained, so we decided against them. What we enjoyed instead was the surrounding San Juan National Forest and all that it had to offer.
Treasure Falls
Treasure Falls was the second great waterfall that we were able to experience as a family. It is located right off of the highway and only a quarter of a mile hike up to it. You can view it from the parking lot, but it was worth the short, steep walk to get closer. It is not a large waterfall so I imagine it can turn to a slow trickle later in the summer. But it being in the middle of July when we visited, it was still gushing with water.
Piedra River Trail
Piedra River Trail was a hike my husband and I took turns going for a run on as the other stayed back with our daughter. This was the peak of her newfound hatred of the baby carrier that forced us to change how we explored. As a team, I’m proud of my husband and I for adapting and overcoming this challenge. It allowed us to experience yet another beautiful trail. It offered so many different elements that included a steady flowing river, mountain views, a towering canyon and a vast number of trees. It was a magical scene. It reminded me of our favorite trail we hiked located in Sedona Arizona that snaked through the Oak Creek Canyon.
Williams Creek Reservoir
We would have written Pagosa Springs off if it weren’t for the discovery of Williams Creek Reservoir and the breathtaking views of the mountains that it rested in. We learned we could camp in the surrounding wildlife area. So, if we find ourselves in this part of the state again, this is where we would make our home base. We had an incredibly fun day fishing and kayaking on the water. It is where my husband finally caught his first fish of the trip!
Stop #4: Mancos/Durango
Our original plan was to visit Durango, but with limited campsite options, we ended up staying just down the road in Mancos, CO, at an RV resort called Riverwood. We had hoped to explore Mesa Verde National Park, but after some research, we realized it would require a considerable time commitment—something we were not quite prepared for, especially with the summer heat bearing down on us.
We also had high hopes for Durango, but much like Pagosa Springs, it did not leave much of an impression. Instead, we treated it as a quick pit stop to take care of essentials—laundry, grocery shopping, and securing a generator—so we could head back into the mountains, ready to spend a few days off the grid in cooler temperatures.
Next Stop: Telluride
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