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Vibrant pink and orange sunset sky over the towering red rock formations of Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Colorado

Southern Colorado: Conservation, Stewardship & the Great Outdoors

Program No. 25645RJ
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
9 days
8 nights
What's Included
19 meals ( 8B, 6L, 5D )
2 expert-led lectures
13 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
8 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m. Bring your name tag (sent previously).
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 4:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Remember to bring your name-tag (sent previously). Orientation: 5:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. The activity level for this program is “Outdoor: No Sweat” Participants must be able to hike up to four miles daily over varied terrain. Participants must be fully capable of participating in all planned program activities. Transportation for program-related activities will be via motorcoach unless specified otherwise. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
Welcome dinner in our hotel meeting room.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 105 miles, approximately 2.5 hours over the course of the day. Walking up to 2 mile; paved sidewalks; standing up to an hour at a time. Maximum elevation approximately 9,000 feet.
Breakfast:
Breakfast available at the hotel.
Morning:
After checking out of the hotel we will begin our journey with a stop at one of the area’s most iconic attractions: Garden of the Gods. Donated in 1909 to the city of Colorado Springs with the stipulation that it remain a free public park, Garden of the Gods welcomes over 5 million visitors each year. The red rock formations that the garden is famous for were created millions of years ago during a geological event called the Laramide Orogeny, where the Farallon plate collided at a shallow angle with the North America plate. Archaeological evidence shows that ancestral Native American people visited Garden of the Gods about 1300 BCE. Around 300 BCE, these people camped in the area. They are believed to have been attracted to the game animals and abundant edible plants. They used overhangs created by the rocks for shelter. We’ll spend some time learning about the site through the exhibits in the visitor’s center before returning to the coach where a step-on guide will join us for a driving tour around the park.
Lunch:
Boxed Lunches.
Afternoon:
Heading west, we will stop at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center to learn about this controversial and federally protected species. The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center is one of only two sanctuaries in the country accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The sanctuary is home to a wide range of wolves, from the swift fox to the largest native canid in North America, the Timber Wolf. Also living within the sanctuary are two of the rarest wolves on Earth: the American Red wolf, and Mexican gray wolves, among others. We’ll walk through the sanctuary to meet the residents and learn about their role in our eco-system as well as the sanctuary’s current conservation efforts. Then we'll board the coach and continue our ascent into the Rockies and check-in at our hotel in Salida.
Dinner:
Dinner at a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 40 miles, approximately 1 hour including stops. Hiking up to 4 miles; paved and unpaved, sometimes uneven terrain with some elevation gains; standing up to an hour at a time. Maximum elevation approximately 7,500 feet.
Breakfast:
Breakfast available at the hotel.
Morning:
This morning we will be joined by the owner of Badger Creek Ranch who will discuss the benefits of regenerative agriculture systems that prioritize land stewardship, ecosystem health, carbon sequestration, and animal welfare. Certified by the Audubon Ranching Conservation Program, the Ranch offers apprenticeships and education programs to try to change public perspective about the ranching industry. We'll learn how they produce food for the local community through sustainable practices and how they have created "a space that provides connection, education, and community". We'll be joined by a naturalist from the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA) who will take us for a hike near Salida. We'll get an in-depth look at some of the flora and fauna in the region, learn about the river itself, and find out about the association's public projects and educational opportunities provided to local communities.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We'll return to Salida and go for a scenic walk along Riverside Park and make our way to Main Street. The remainder of the day will be at leisure for you to explore and relax as you choose.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 130 miles, approximately 2.5 hours including stops. Hiking up to 4 miles; paved and unpaved, sometimes uneven terrain with some elevation gains; standing up to an hour at a time. Maximum elevation approximately 12,000 feet.
Breakfast:
Breakfast available at the hotel.
Morning:
This morning we’ll check out of our hotel and ascend to 10,790 feet at the base of Monarch Mountain. From here we’ll take the scenic tramway up to the top of the Continental Divide and enjoy 360 degree views of five different mountain ranges. Built in 1966 by the Salida brothers Elmo and Mac Bevington, the Monarch Crest Scenic Tramway is the oldest working tramway in Colorado. You may choose to either ride back down via tram or walk down the 2 mile trail to the bottom. Next we'll continue our drive to Gunnison and head to the campus of Western Colorado University. We'll hear a lecture on the intersection of outdoor recreation, sense of place, and community to help us gain a deeper understanding of what draws people to the area and what makes them stay.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
After lunch we will enter the Curecanti National Recreation Area, named after a 19th-century chief of the Ute people. Encompassing over 43,000 acres and containing Colorado’s largest body of water, Blue Mesa Reservoir, this is popular area for hiking, fishing, and camping. We’ll drive alongside the lake before stopping to hike it’s most famous trail, Dillon Pinnacles. This 4-mile in and out hike weaves through a landscape of sagebrush and ponderosa pine, offering views of the Reservoir, San Juan Mountains, and the towering volcanic formation of the Dillon Pinnacles. Back at the trailhead we’ll reboard the coach and follow the Gunnison River west to Montrose. We’ll check in to our hotel and take some time to relax before gathering for dinner.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 30 miles, approximately 45 minutes total. Hiking up to 3 miles; varied terrain with inclines; standing up to an hour at a time. Maximum elevation approximately 8,500 feet.
Breakfast:
Breakfast available at the hotel.
Morning:
Today’s morning field trip will take us into Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Carved out by the powerful Gunnison River over the last two million years, the steep-sided canyon was granted national park status in 1990 and contains some of the world’s oldest exposed rock. The canyon walls plunge 2700 feet with some areas being so narrow that the bottom receives only minutes of sunlight each day. We’ll take a scenic drive along the south rim and view the lightning-bolt like streaks on the Painted Wall. Then we’ll walk 1.6 miles along Warner Point Trail and look for Mule Deer and Peregrine Falcons who nest on ledges in the canyon walls. We’ll return to Montrose for lunch.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
After lunch we will visit a local hops farm for a tour and tasting. With over 400 craft breweries in the state of Colorado, discerning brewers are opting to partner with local growers to minimize carbon footprints and help support local communities. We'll learn how this independent, family-operated, female-owned farm is focusing on maintaining healthy soil while using less water and creating less waste. We'll sample a few varieties of beer produced with their hops. After lunch we’ll take a guided tour of the Museum of the Mountain West. This six-acre property houses 28 historical buildings and contains over 500,000 artifacts from various eras of Colorado mountain history. We'll stroll down "Main Street" and visit historic storefronts that have been carefully renovated to maintain their original features and filled with a curated selection of items that reflect a bygone era. We'll then return to our hotel for a brief rest before heading out to dinner.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 60 miles, approximately 1.5 hours including stops. Riding a train for 1.5 hours. Hiking up to 1 miles; paved and unpaved trails; standing up to an hour at a time. Maximum elevation approximately 11,000 feet.
Breakfast:
Breakfast available at the hotel.
Morning:
This morning we will depart Montrose and head south to the town of Ouray. Here we'll visit the Box Canyon Falls Park and observe as a thousand gallons of water per minute pour through Canyon Creek and carve a deep gorge in the rock. You'll have several options for short trails around the site taking you either 200 feet up for stunning views of Ouray or through the wooded forest in search of Black Swifts which nest here in the summer before returning to Brazil. Next we'll return to town and visit the Wright Opera House. Built in 1888 this is one of five historic opera houses in southern Colorado that were built to showcase the riches that the mining industry brought to the region. We'll get a behind-the-scenes tour to see some original artifacts and learn about what it takes to preserve historic buildings in small towns.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like.
Afternoon:
After lunch we'll take the Million Dollar Highway, one of America's most scenic drives, to Silverton. Look for remnants of mining equipment in the peaks, canyons, and meadows we pass along the way. Once in Silverton we will go to the train depot to finish our journey south on the famous Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. From our steam train we'll experience the iconic Horseshoe Curve, High Bridge and all of the Animas River Gorge. Upon arriving in Durango we'll check in to our hotel and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 70 miles, approximately 2 hours including stops. Hiking up to 3 miles; paved and unpaved, sometimes uneven terrain with some elevation gains. Chimney Rock hike is 2/3 mile round-trip over a rough, steep, rocky, unimproved trail on a narrow causeway with cliffs on both sides; 200-foot elevation gain, no shade. Those who prefer not to hike the Great House Pueblo Trail can walk the easier Lower Mesa Trail. Maximum elevation approximately 7,500 feet.
Breakfast:
Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning:
We'll depart our hotel and head onto the Southern Ute Reservation where we will visit the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum. Designed by Jones & Jones Architects in Seattle, Washington, who were also the creative minds behind the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the striking beauty of the building and landscape which surround it, mesh cultural symbolism with a sense of place. We will enjoy some time for independent exploration before departing for Chimney Rock.
Lunch:
Boxed lunches at Chimney Rock
Afternoon:
We will spend time time exploring Chimney Rock. Chimney Rock is one of the largest Pueblo II (900-1150 AD) communities in southwestern Colorado and is a Chacoan cultural “outlier.” The two spires that give Chimney Rock its name frame multiple astronomical alignments including the northern lunar standstill, summer solstice, equinoxes, and Crab Nebula. The Ancestral Puebloans incorporated their knowledge of astronomy into the design of their community. After departing Chimney Rock, we will continue to Pagosa Springs and check in to our hotel. You'll then have the rest of the afternoon at leisure to do whatever activities you choose.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 270 miles, approximately 5 hours including stops. Hiking up to 2 miles; standing up to an hour at a time. Maximum elevation approximately 10,500 feet.
Breakfast:
Breakfast available at the hotel.
Morning:
After checking out of our hotel, we’ll board the motorcoach and drive to Great Sand Dunes National Park. A preserve of over 150,000 acres, this park holds the tallest sand dunes in North America set against the backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. We’ll explore the main dunefield where a lack of trails means you get to choose your own adventure! View exhibits in the visitors center, hike through the sand to observe an ever-changing landscape, or dip your toes in the water at Medano creek at the base of the dunes.
Lunch:
Boxed lunches.
Afternoon:
After lunch we will wrap up our time in the park and reboard the coach to make our way back to Colorado Springs.
Dinner:
In the hotel meeting room.
Evening:
We’ll gather once more as a group for a wrap-up session in our hotel meeting room to share experiences and exchange farewells. Then prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out 12:00 Noon.
Breakfast:
Breakfast available at the hotel. This concludes our program.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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