We woke up early in the morning and drove to the town of Durango, where we were supposed to join the scenic San Juan Skyway Loop. This place was not in our initial plans, but as we had to make some adjustments to our route to the Arches National Park, Ruth did some research and found out that this would be a good way to enjoy the trip that day.

We stopped at the main tourism office in Durango to collect some more info and maps and it turned out that there was a large playground for kids. Noah enjoyed the time there a lot, playing by himself and with other kids, and of course we played with him a little bit too. In the meantime, I was in the office getting the information for our route and I then realized that we needed a full day (if not two or three) to enjoy the scenery along the San Juan Skyway Loop in its entirety.

This highway is about 232 miles long and, with all the stops, visitors need no less than 7 hours on the road. We decided to cut our journey along the highway almost by half, as we wanted to reach Moab (the closest point to the Arches National Park) that same day.

I’m sure the full route is a lovely experience for anyone who drives it, but we believe that we’ve done the best part of it.

The San Juan Skyway Loop and its amazing views

The first part was a one and a half hour slow drive and we were immediately enchanted by the surroundings, vantage points, mountains, lakes, amazing landscapes, etc. They justify the title of “scenic highway”.

Coal Bank Pass (10.660 ft / 3.249 m)

Andrew Lake

Molas Pass (10.899 ft / 3.318 m)

The first village we stopped at on the San Juan Skyway Loop was Silverton, a beautiful little town that is now a National Historic Landmark. It has a courthouse, grand hotels and beautiful Victorian houses, and the architecture reflects the millions of dollars in gold and silver that was mined there in the late 1800s.

Box Canyon Falls from the Amphitheater

The best part of the scenic highway

Next we reached the village of Ouray, known as the “Switzerland of America”, and this seemed to be a true description of the place. The houses, the trees, the landscape and everything about that scenery reminded us of the European country.

Then it was about 35 miles further to the last village that we visited that day on the San Juan Scenic highway: the town of Telluride. It is a very charming town that is popular with holidaymakers and adventurers who want to take part in some of the many outdoor activities offered in the region, such as skiing and kayaking.

Telluride was also the place where we had some dinner before hitting the road again. It was already dark, but we’re sure there must be other beautiful views along the remaining part of the San Juan Skyway Loop. They will have to wait for our next visit to the US.

Next stop Arches National Park in Utah!