Black Canyon - Silverton - Durango, CO

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The Black Canyon is a nice small canyon. Several interesting overlooks and not too far off the highway. If you have time, it's worth a visit.

I then made my way down the East side of the Scenic Byway thru Silverton and on down to Durango. All the towns up here in the mountains have picturesque old downtowns that are thriving with little shops and restaurants. Ski Lifts are on the edges of the towns and scattered throughout the main highways.

The Scenic Byway is narrow in parts and have quite a bit of truck traffic. Just be patient and enjoy the spectacular views. There are many turnouts and passing lanes.

Durango is larger that the other mountain towns and has a pretty good size downtown full of shops and restaurants. Plan to stay in Durango for a day or two. Besides shopping and food, there is the river! Many rafting opportunities are available as well as bike rentals, horse rides and of course the Durango-Silverton Railway.

I stayed in a campsite called Lightner Creek Campground. It's about 5 miles west of Durango on wy 207. It's privately owned, situated at the base of a hill on a small creek and a very nice place to stay. They offer both tent and RV sites. Check them out if you are looking for a campsite in Durango.

The vacation is nearly over. I'll make my way back to Phoenix to fly home.

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