I’ve included out trip route and Southern Colorado 2 Week Itinerary. Also, be sure to check out other things to do in the Rocky Mountain Region, which included visiting Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Parks!

*Last updated July 12, 2024

Southern Colorado 2 Week Itinerary

Table of Contents

1. Branson and the Ozarks
2. Drive to Garden City, KA
3. Amache, Bent’s Old Fort, Drive to Great Sand Dunes
4. Great Sand Dunes and drive to Durango
5. Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
6. Mesa Verde National Park
7. Silverton Old Hundred Gold Mine and Ouray
8. Telluride Day Trip
9. Box Canyon, Cascade Falls, Ouray Hot Springs
10. Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Silverthorne
11. Day in Summit County
12. Drive to Lawrence, KA
13. Drive to Cincinnati, OH

Day 1 – Branson and the ozarks

Branson was our first stop, but we actually spent a week here with my parents and brother’s family. There’s a lot to do and the kids loved it.

I’ll include a different itinerary for a week in the Ozarks, but for this trip itinerary we’re focused on Colorado!

Day 2 – drive to Garden City, KA

On the first day leaving Branson, we did mostly driving as it was about 500 miles. Also, pictured is our boat that we rented on Table Rock Lake the previous week, which was so much fun and highly recommended.

However, we did notice that Garden City has a certain aroma. There are a lot of cattle farms in the area and whenever you leave your hotel or car, there is a smell that greets you. Maybe if you are from there you get used to it? Anyway, on to Colorado!

Day 3 – Amache, Ben’ts Old Fort, drive to Great Sand Dunes Oasis

I had seen Amache National Historic Site in the news, since in 2024 it is the newest national park site in the US. It is one of 10 Japanese internment camps in US during WWII.

It had previously been run by volunteers and I imagine the park service is in the process of building it up. Currently, it is dirt roads that run through the compound with a few buildings. It appears that restoration and rebuilding of some of the old buildings is underway. However, be aware that there is no ranger station and no bathrooms (as of 2024) so it is pretty sparse.

Afterwards, we stopped at Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, which was a great stop. A day pass or annual pass is required, but you can tour the reconstruction of this fort that was a major trade stop back in mid-1800s.

Day 4 – Great Sand Dunes National Park, drive to Durango

We arrived at the Great Sand Dunes Oasis the night before to camp. The campground is just outside the park and has some great views of the Great Sand Dunes.

In the morning, we rented some sleds and a sand board from the Oasis and then went into the park. The kids enjoyed sledding and playing in the sand, and I even did pretty good at sand boarding!

Some people hike to the High Dune, however, we had 6 young kids so we spent a lot of time playing in the sand and in Medano Creek by the dunes.

Be sure to check out my page on the Best Things to Do in Great Sand Dunes!

Day 5 – durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

We stayed at the HTR Durango campground (formerly Lightner Creek campgrond), which has a beautiful location.

Our first day, we took a ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Be sure to get reservations well in advance as they book up early. The views were beautiful!

We took the roundtrip to Cascade Canyon (which is about halfway to Silverton) since we had young kids. However, a lot of people choose to go to Silverton one-way and take a bus back.

Day 6 – Mesa Verde National Park

I always love exploring old, historic sites and I loved Mesa Verde! We spent a whole day and I could have easily spent two full days here.

We made reservations for Cliff Palace, which you can book through Recreation.gov 2 weeks in advance. Tickets are hard to get and sell out immediately. They also have tours of Balcony House, but we chose Cliff Palace since the ladders are smaller and easier for smaller children.

Day 7 – Silverton Old Hundred Gold Mine and Ouray

After leaving Durango, we drove up to Ouray, with a lunch stop in Silverton at Handlebars.

Afterwards, we drove to Old Hundred Gold Mine for a tour of the mine. Additionally, the tour guide is a former miner and gives a lot of information about the mine and mining technology. Also, you take a mine car into the mine and afterwards you can pan for rocks and gems in their kid area. Be aware that there is a unpaved road to get to Old Hundred Mine.

After Silverton, we drove the Million Dollar Highway to Ouray. The views are amazing!

Day 8 – Telluride Day Trip

We stayed at 4J+1+1 campground in Ouray. We were getting some rain, but we decided to use this day to head over to Telluride, which is a little over an hour drive. Also, the town was really busy as there was a Bluegrass Festival that weekend.

However, we drove up to Bridal Veil Falls. We hiked up the unpaved road (1.5 miles each way), which is a little longer, but a little easier than the trail. If you have a 4×4 vehicle, you can also drive up. It is definitely worth it as the falls are amazing to see!

Afterwards, we drove up to Mountain Village and took the free gondola down to the city of Telluride. We did get stuck for a bit in a hail storm. However, once that stopped, we walked around town and stopped at a chocolate shop for a snack. On the way back to Ouray, we had dinner at True Grit Café in Ridgeway.

Day 9 – Box Canyon, Cascade Falls, Ouray Hot Springs

Today we spent the day exploring Ouray. What a fun place! First thing we drove up to Box Canyon Falls. It has a small per person fee to park at the site. However, it is free if you access it from the perimeter trail, which goes all the way around Ouray.

Box Canyon has a trail that goes inside the canyon up to the waterfall and it is definitely worth it! Additionally, there is a set of stairs that goes up to the top of the canyon for some beautiful views of Ouray.

Afterwards, we spent some time at the Ouray Hot Springs, which has numerous pools, both cold and hot. We took a break to go up to Cascade Fails, which is a short hike to the falls that you see from most places in Ouray. In the evening, we went back over to the hot springs since the pass is good for the entire day.

Day 10 – Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Silverthorne

So, this was where we had to change up the plans mid-trip. It does happen sometimes. We had planned to go to Colorado Springs to see Garden of the Gods and drive up Pike’s Peak. However, a bridge on route 50 was closed so we had to drive all the way up I-70 through Denver.

Unfortunately, the Sunday traffic was a nightmare and our car overheated. We ended up staying in Silverthorne instead, which wasn’t so bad because the Summit County area is a lot of fun!

We did stop in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park for a few hours and enjoyed the canyon views.

Day 11 – Day in Summit County

Sometimes these unexpected detours work out. A friend’s dad lives in Frisco, so we gave him a call and met up with him for a morning hike to Rainbow Lake.

In the afternoon, we stopped at the Rainbow Park playground in Silverthorne and spent some time at the hotel pool. Also, I think it is important to remember that this is a vacation for the kids as well and schedule some things they enjoy.

We had dinner at the Dillon Dam Brewery before getting some solid rest before a long two day drive back to Cincinnati.

Day 12 – Drive to Lawrence, KA

Some days you just have to put some miles in and this was one of those days. We drove about 630 miles, but arrived in time to get dinner in town, which had a nice little downtown area. Also, we had the kids swim so they could get some exercise after sitting in the car most of the day.

Day 13 – Drive to Cincinnati, OH

Another long driving day. Also, the last day always seems to drag on a little longer. However, I do enjoy knowing that I’ll be back to sleeping in my own bed again! I wish the best of luck in your vacation planning and hope you have as much fun as we did while you are in Southern Colorado!