My Five-Day National Parks Road Trip, Day One

A few years ago, I made it one of my goals to go see at least one new National Park every year. This year I decided to up my game, and after spending some time on Google Maps, I figured out that I could essentially drive in a large circle through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Utah, and visit several National Parks, monuments, state parks and as a nice halfway break, Las Vegas.

See my recent piece about how to support National Parks during these uncertain times.

I would love to do something like this again, though I may change my decision to do so in early November, as weather certainly became an important factor, especially in my very efficient but not particularly powerful front-wheel drive hybrid car.

DAY ONE

Denver to Lake Pueblo State Park

This was perhaps the easiest stretch of the trip, not only because it was only a couple hours from home, it was on familiar roads and I hadn't yet run into any weather. It was chilly, but not so much that it was uncomfortable to get out and hike a little around Lake Pueblo State Park. I have every intention of returning to this park a lot more, it's huge and I had no idea of the true expanse of options for walking around and birding.

I chose a specific area after checking eBird for recent sightings, hoping to catch something new and interesting, parked and headed out to see what I could see. I managed to spot several mountain bluebirds, lots of ring-billed gulls, and a couple grebes.

Surprisingly, the geology in the area ended up being nearly as interesting as the avian life, and I took several photos of the shoreline as I walked along it.

After some research, I found out that Lake Pueblo State Park showcases a rich geologic history, revealing about 128 million years of Earth's history, including a shallow sea, volcanic activity, and the rise of the Rocky Mountains, with notable rock formations like the Graneros, Greenhorn, Carlile, and Niobrara formations. When I visit again, I'd like to explore some of the geology specifically.

Pueblo Lake State Park to Great Sand Dunes National Park

After a couple of hours of exploration, it was time to get back into the car and head to the Great Sand Dunes. This was a particularly lovely drive, Southern Colorado highways offering lovely views and very little traffic.

The drive up to the park itself was a little surreal. As a Coloradan, I am familiar with looking around and seeing mountains on the horizon, however, seeing large mountain-sized hills of sand is completely different. The park is home to the highest sand dunes in North America, an interesting distinction for Colorado.

There are no trails on the dunes themselves, which means you can simply head out and climb. While I visited in November, and didn't have to worry about some of the bigger dangers that can present themselves, if you are planning to visit please be aware that the dunes can reach a surface temperature of 150 F in the summer, and thunderstorms with lightning are common. Boots with long pants help to keep sand out of your socks. And one huge benefit of climbing the dunes is that it's very difficult to get lost. Sightlines to parking and the visiting center are clear almost everywhere.

While I did not attempt to climb to the peak, many people thrill themselves doing just that. You can get an idea of the height of 750 feet of the tallest dunes here, as the people hiking them, at a distance, look quite ant-like.

I sat for some time, enjoying a packed lunch, and watched families and hikers enjoy the sandy swoops and bumps, before heading out for my final destination of the day. On my way out, I pulled over to get a final picture of the dunes, only to hit some very lucky timing, at least for a birder. When I rolled down the window to get the photo, I heard a series of calls from an unfamiliar bird, seeing several blue blurs darting around a nearby tree. I used my Merlin app to identify the sounds and was absolutely delighted to find that I had stumbled upon some pinyon jays, the only Colorado jay I had not yet observed.

I had actually visited Mesa Verde National Park a few years prior and had hoped to see pinyon jays, which typically aren't spotted around the Denver metro area, but struck out on that trip. So after getting some video, photos and sound recordings of their calls, I continued on my way towards Pagosa Springs.

Great Sand Dunes National Park to Pagosa Springs

Pagosa Springs is known for its geothermal hot springs, a major attraction to the town, and the reason I decided to stop there and stay for the night. I had never experienced a natural hot spring, and I wanted to try one out.

Driving into the town, I could see the steam rising up into the air from several spots around me, especially in the chillier November weather. Once checked in, I quickly changed into my bathing suit and darted across the cold parking lot to the spring, which was being directed into a soaking pool structure.

The hot springs in Pagosa are known for their high mineral content and therapeutic properties. The town is home to the Great Pagosa Hot Spring, which is considered the world's deepest geothermal hot spring, with a measured depth of over 1,002 feet.

The Ute people originally used the springs for their healing qualities, and the area’s name, "Pagosa," is believed to mean "healing waters" in their language.

I quite enjoyed the heated waters and the peaceful surroundings of the spring I was soaking in, but I had not expected the smell of it. The spring here had strong, sulfurous smell, which is caused by the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas in the hot springs' water. This smell is often described as similar to rotten eggs. While I'm not sure I would go far, it was certainly a quite strong smell.

After a soak and another, even chillier jog across the parking lot, I settled in to rest and prepare for day two of my journey.