• Welcome Guest! If you are already a member of the BMW MOA, please log in to the forum in the upper right hand corner of this page. Check "Remember Me?" if you wish to stay logged in.

    We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMWMOA forum provides. Why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the club magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMWMOA offers?

    Want to read the MOA monthly magazine for free? Take a 3-month test ride of the magazine; check here for details.

  • NOTE. Some content will be hidden from you. If you want to view all content, you must register for the forum if you are not a member, or if a member, you must be logged in.

Pagosa Springs, CO information

gunnert

Biker
After the Great Falls Rally 5 of us are heading to Colorado. Will be spending 4 nights in Pagosa Springs. Interested in day ride routes start/ending Pagosa Springs. I found one route that takes you up 149 and just south of Lake City takes you east/northeast along County Roads 50/52, etc. Anyone ridden this area or these roads? Trying to confirm they are paved, e.g. we're all on K1600.. One of the days we'll be doing the train ride out of Chama, NM. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Please include details...

Duane
 
Everybody is different, it might help to describe what a day ride is to you? Some folks think 500 - 600 miles is a good day, others like to stop and enjoy the small towns, so 100 -150 miles might be a good day. The million dollar highway, CO-550 through Silverton and Ouray is a great ride! CO-145 between Dolores and Telluride is easy and both towns are very nice. CO-92 between Sapinero and Hotchkiss is a fun road. I'm guessing you haven't been to Pagosa Springs before? It's a nice town and the hot springs are great but remember to bring a throw away bathing suit, the sulfur smell does not come out of your clothes.
 
We've been on 149 several times and like it.
Stop at North Creek Falls.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/riogrande/recarea/?recid=29118

P1000936.JPG

P1000928.JPG

Creede is a nice little town to stop at.
P1000940.JPG

If 50 is not paved and you continue on to Gunnison, 114 is a fun road from 50 to North Pass.
After North Pass you're out of the mountains to get back to Pagosa Springs.


The Million Dollar highway and Teluride mentioned earlier is good.

Pagosa Springs, Ouray, Telluride, Cortez and back to Pagosa Springs is 354 miles.

Pagosa Springs, Lake City, Gunnison, Saquache, back to Pagosa is 333 miles.
 
Last edited:
Probably too far to work into a loop but maybe you can ride it on the way to Pagosa Springs, 141 and 145 Gateway to Telluride.

P1010916.JPG
 
I've ridden 149, Garrison, Delta, Mesa, Grand Junction area. I'll be staying in Pagosa Springs 4 nights. I'll have my wife with me and try not to do more than 6 hours a day in the saddle; which usually equates to <300 miles. I'm particularly interested in the County Roads listed in my original post. I prefer curvy roads/scenic roads. And I'm about as fast as anyone even with my wife onboard.

Duane
 
. I'm particularly interested in the County Roads listed in my original post.
Duane

I have not been on 50. My 2019 Colorado map has it marked as gravel. Google satellite view looks like blacktop but I don't see and markings or cracks.
Hopefully someone with firsthand knowledge will reply.
I know some guys who ride offroad near Lake City, I'll ask them.

Are you trying to loop back to 149 north of Lake City or try to get over to 114?
 
Last edited:
Yes, that is the basic route I'd like to plan on taking.

Duane

Two guys say gravel. Another guy is going to check his Gazetteer after work to be sure what road I asked about.
When I google Los Pinos Pass the picture shows a dirt bike on gravel.
 
Thanks for the help. Always a PIA planning a ride on unfamiliar roads. You'd "think" there would be a map somewhere showing roads that are paved...

Duane
 
Thanks for the help. Always a PIA planning a ride on unfamiliar roads. You'd "think" there would be a map somewhere showing roads that are paved...

Duane

The state map shows it's gravel but sometimes state road maps are not up to date.
Cottonwood Pass is now paved but shows as gravel on the Colorado State road map I received last month from the tourism department.
 
Be watchful of speed limits near Lake City&#55358;&#56616; They are low for some time going through the burn area coming from the south as well
H and I were ahead, then behind a sporty group and the local LEO flipped around right after they passed us coming from the north. He assumed we were leading that group per his rant,and gave us both citations for their actions as we had slowed to the signed limit entering city limits and were the available targets. I still smell his Old Spice overload every time we pass through:hungover
H debated with him in her charming way and still got a piece of paper!
I think that road is gravel and full of quad groups when I took it three years back
Nice coffee shop/cafe just past that road near town center heading north
 
You'd "think" there would be a map somewhere showing roads that are paved...Duane

Just start a thread on ADVrider querying the ones you still dont have information on, and youll get lots of hits.

Also, you might want to get Steve Farsons book, Motorcycling Colorado.
 
I heard back from another friend and he said the road over Los Pinos Pass would not be good on a large road bike.
 
Lee, not interested in an opinion on what someone else 'thinks' is a suitable road for a large bike. Did he say it was dirt/gravel or paved?

BTW, I have the Butler map, it doesn't show the County roads.

Duane
 
Back
Top