The Best Hike in Pagosa Springs, Colorado?

Quartz Lake is a 10.2 mile hike with around 2,860 of elevation gain. I consider this hike to be one of my favorites here in Pagosa Springs. Once you climb through the keyhole, it's nothing but amazing views and atmospheres. For more trail guides, head to thisispagosa.com!

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Pagosa Springs, Colorado is a refreshingly authentic small town located in Southwest Colorado. Pagosa's claim to fame is the system of sulfur springs located there, including the world's deepest geothermal hot spring.

The mother spring feeds the hot spring soaking pools located along the San Juan River that runs through the heart of downtown. It's here where you can find The Springs Resort & Spa, named one of the top hot springs in the world by Travel and Leisure! There's also several primitive hot springs you can easily hike to such as Piedra Hot Springs and Rainbow Hot Springs.

Pagosa Springs is an hour east of Durango, Colorado and only thirty minutes to the west of Wolf Creek Ski Area, home to the most snow in Colorado. Surrounded by five million acres of National Forest, Pagosa is one of the more remote towns in Colorado with the Continental Divide surrounding this area.

Don’t be fooled. Pagosa is anything but a one dimensional ski town. It truly has something to offer everyone, no matter the season. Once spring hits, the snow melt is on! Time to grab your paddle, jump in a raft, and experience the engineered rapids throughout town. Once the river calms in June, it's the perfect time to catch a trophy rainbow trout on the end of a fly or perhaps a lazy day of tubing is more your speed?

Summer overall in the San Juan's is absolutely magical. Out of town guests escape unbearable temps in their hometown and replace it with our moderate temperatures followed by cool night's in the lower 50's. This is the perfect recipe for camping, hiking, trail running, and mountain biking.

If that’s not enough, mother nature holds a party of transformation starting in September. Amateur photographers flock from near and far to experience the glory of the changing Aspens. Peak season to capture this amazing transformation is usually in early to mid October. Life slows down a bit from there and everyone is eager for the snow to start falling again. And so this magical cycle of fun and adventure starts all over again.

Pagosa is home to a little over 2,000 full-time residents. The population fluctuates wildly with many second home owners and tourists visiting during the summer and winter. Pagosa has a high school, a middle school and an elementary school. There's a special emphasis in quality of life with the education system here given the unique opportunities this area offers.

When it comes to Pagosa Springs Real Estate, there's a variety to choose from. Downtown Pagosa Springs features all kind of homes that date back to the early 1900's. The Uptown area is located five miles to the west of downtown along Highway 160. This area is home to the second largest homeowners association in all of Colorado - Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association. Here you can find everything from Modern homes to Timberframe and Log homes to Apartments and Condos.

Pagosa also happens to be the home base of the new hit HGTV Show "Building Roots". Featuring Ben and Cristi Dozier who own Root House Coffee Shop, this show features the incredible beauty of Pagosa Springs.