South Fork or Alamosa

mfifield01 · 07-14-2020, 07:06 AM

I'm currently in Durango area for the next week. I planned to come back through NM and stay a few days to cut down on the drive time (to TX). It doesn't look I'd be able to do anything in NM. I'm thinking of going to South Fork or Alamosa. They both look pretty good. Any recommendations?

**sourdough** · 07-14-2020, 07:37 AM

Depends on what you want to do. IMO I would stay in SF any day before I just went to hang out in Alamosa. Not much in either place but SF is right in the mountains; head back toward Pagosa and you have fishing, hiking, sight seeing and whatnot. Go the other way and head to Creed and that's a place all unto itself to me. It's a lot of nothing heading to Alamosa and around it from the times I've been there but there may be something of interest to you.

mfifield01 · 07-14-2020, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Depends on what you want to do. IMO I would stay in SF any day before I just went to hang out in Alamosa. Not much in either place but SF is right in the mountains; head back toward Pagosa and you have fishing, hiking, sight seeing and whatnot. Go the other way and head to Creed and that's a place all unto itself to me. It's a lot of nothing heading to Alamosa and around it from the times I've been there but there may be something of interest to you.

Anything else in that area (or towards I25)? I prefer to stay at a higher altitude for the temps. I'm just trying to shave some time off of my drive back.

**sourdough** · 07-14-2020, 08:02 AM

Past Alamosa on the way to 25 La Veta is pretty as is Cuchara. La Veta to Cuchara then to Trinidad via Stonewall is pretty country. Couple of days ago I was looking into staying at Monument Lake on that route. On that entire route there isn't much of anything in any of those smaller towns until you get to the interstate so keep that in mind.

**sourdough** · 07-14-2020, 08:17 AM

I forgot to mention, and you probably already knew, but going from Durango to South Fork and points E will put you going over Wolf Creek Pass. Lots of twisties and a pretty steep climb from Treasure Falls to the summit. Pretty much the same around La Veta.

mfifield01 · 07-14-2020, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

I forgot to mention, and you probably already knew, but going from Durango to South Fork and points E will put you going over Wolf Creek Pass. Lots of twisties and a pretty steep climb from Treasure Falls to the summit. Pretty much the same around La Veta.

I drove it in 2014 with a friend's rig ('03 Ram 2500 and 34' Puma). It wouldn't go over 35MPH up Wolf Creek Pass.

Did you look at staying at Monument Lake Resort? I don't see much around that area. I've thought about Bear Lake and Blue Lake, but would need a backup plan.

**sourdough** · 07-14-2020, 08:37 AM

I had looked at Monument Lake Resort and Stonewall Lodge but with everything we've got going on just can't nail down dates we can be sure of. Used to spend lots of time up there and loved Stonewall which is nothing but a little hole in the wall. Haven't put an RV in either location though.

Keystoned · 07-14-2020, 08:44 AM

Had good fishing luck at million lake near south fork in the past.
Alamosa has the great sand dune iirc...
Wolf Creek Pass...there is even a song about it, lol
That used to be God's country until the bark beetle showed up...

**sourdough** · 07-14-2020, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keystoned

Had good fishing luck at million lake near south fork in the past.
Alamosa has the great sand dune iirc...
Wolf Creek Pass...there is even a song about it, lol
That used to be God's country until the bark beetle showed up...

And the forest fires. One of my favorite lakes was Shaw Lake outside South Fork toward Pagosa; caught a lot of trout there. A few years back the fires came and that lake turned black from all the black water feeding it. Fish couldn't make it and they drained the thing....

I'm sure it refilled but when I last went back it was maybe 1/4 full.

Keystoned · 07-14-2020, 08:53 AM

Yup Shaw lake used to boil with cut throat a dusk...the good ole days.
We camped way up from Shaw lake once at very high elevation and nobody around.

gearhead · 07-16-2020, 05:38 PM

I'm thinking next year I might do Creede. It's a long way from enchiladas for Betty but a short trip for rainbows for me. Or maybe a "me trip" next spring.
My brother is in Trinidad today. I'm trying to steer him to Creede or north of Pagosa around Williams Creek Reservoir.
I'll research those campgrounds Danny.

**sourdough** · 07-16-2020, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gearhead

I'm thinking next year I might do Creede. It's a long way from enchiladas for Betty but a short trip for rainbows for me. Or maybe a "me trip" next spring.
My brother is in Trinidad today. I'm trying to steer him to Creede or north of Pagosa around Williams Creek Reservoir.
I'll research those campgrounds Danny.

If you've never been to Creede it's really neat to me. Take the back road out of town and up through the mountains. The old mines and mining camps are not only really cool but the construction, placement on the sides of the mountains, tailings etc. are just unbelievable. I try to go every year but missed this one. They deteriorate so much that I figure they won't be there long.

The town is getting more and more commercialized but not really growing in size. It used to be sort of like it was a long time ago, a "back in the mountains" mining town...modernized. A long way from nothing but very interesting to us. You can pop out of there and head straight up to Lake City for a drive but not much there - looked at property once. Saw the largest mule buck I've ever seen winding down into Lake City once.

mfifield01 · 07-17-2020, 06:30 AM

I'm looking at Creede or South Fork for a couple of days next week. Any RV park suggestions?

**sourdough** · 07-17-2020, 07:08 AM

In Creede you might check Mountain Views. Not much in or around the town but that RV park seemed pretty nice.

South Fork has quite a few parks around it. Never stayed in them because I'm always in Pagosa. The one coming into South Fork from Pagosa on the river (Park Creek?) looked pretty nice when I drove through it. I did see it somewhat flooded one year right after snow melt off but that isn't an issue now.

gearhead · 07-17-2020, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

If you've never been to Creede it's really neat to me. Take the back road out of town and up through the mountains. The old mines and mining camps are not only really cool but the construction, placement on the sides of the mountains, tailings etc. are just unbelievable. I try to go every year but missed this one. They deteriorate so much that I figure they won't be there long.

The town is getting more and more commercialized but not really growing in size. It used to be sort of like it was a long time ago, a "back in the mountains" mining town...modernized. A long way from nothing but very interesting to us. You can pop out of there and head straight up to Lake City for a drive but not much there - looked at property once. Saw the largest mule buck I've ever seen winding down into Lake City once.

Been to Creede once. We were in the motorhome so that had to be the late 1980's or up to the mid 1990's. I'll probably drive up and look around while we are in Vallecito.
Where did you stay in Pagosa? Just looking on Google map there seems to be a couple new ones. I never found a RV park in town that I was satisfied with. I've sorta wanted to stay up at Sportsmans but it's a hike back down to town for anything.

**sourdough** · 07-17-2020, 12:16 PM

I have always stayed in a condo in Pagosa. I've been to, and by, Sportsmen's a lot of times up to the reservoir and Williams Creek. We've sold that property so we'll be looking as well. Pagosa Riverside has looked interesting as we've driven past it; you might look into them. Sportsmen's is just too far out to try to go to town or other locations on a daily basis.

gearhead · 07-17-2020, 02:49 PM

^^That one is close to the road, but they do have a big berm next to the highway.
There is one by the airport on Piedra Rd. that I hadn't realized was there. Mountain Landing Suites and RV.
On a different subject...Did you ever eat at Vera's down in Chama? We always stopped there. Then she moved off the highway into a new building in town. It was still good but nothing near the old place.
And there was The Hub in Pagosa. Good burgers.

**sourdough** · 07-17-2020, 03:30 PM

Didn't eat at the Hub that I recall unless it was a long time ago. Don't recall Vera's in Chama per se but I have eaten at a restaurant that seems like it might have been it; coming into Chama from Pagosa it was sort of angled across from the intersection. By the time we hit Chama going in it wasn't eating time and coming out it would be just after sunrise and I usually ate before I left. If that was the place the food was pretty good as I recall.

I thought about the proximity to the road with Riverside but it drops right down to the river and in the evening/nighttime hours 160 isn't going bonkers with traffic. During the day I'm usually up in the mountains fishing or kicking around.

Ksupaul · 07-17-2020, 03:36 PM

I can’t say any more than sourdough. Every thought I had he nailed!

I would definetly stay in SF over Alamossa. Find you a spot near the river. I bet it might be hard finding one this time of year. Drive up to Creede and spend a half day. If you want to be closer to I25 then the LaVeta post nails it too.

We have cabin on the Loop about 10 miles outside of Lake City and travel through all that on the way to and fro the flatlands of Kansas!

gearhead · 07-17-2020, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Didn't eat at the Hub that I recall unless it was a long time ago. Don't recall Vera's in Chama per se but I have eaten at a restaurant that seems like it might have been it; coming into Chama from Pagosa it was sort of angled across from the intersection. By the time we hit Chama going in it wasn't eating time and coming out it would be just after sunrise and I usually ate before I left. If that was the place the food was pretty good as I recall.

I thought about the proximity to the road with Riverside but it drops right down to the river and in the evening/nighttime hours 160 isn't going bonkers with traffic. During the day I'm usually up in the mountains fishing or kicking around.

There was a cafe on the highway to Pagosa in or near to Chama named Longhorn, I think.
I'll always remember Vera's because she had a picture of Ninfa Lorenzo on the wall. Ninfa was owner of Ninfa's in Houston which ended up a big franchise operation.
The Hub was in the curve of 160 in "downtown" Pagosa. The owners were Texans.

You may also like: