4x4 tour
Season: Summer to early autumnSan Juan Mountains jeep tour
- High passes on the Alpine Loop
- Ghost towns and old mines
By air
San Luis Valley Regional Airport in Alamosa (ALS) is the closest airport with scheduled flights, about an hour and a quarter from Creede, with a small number of flights to Denver. Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO), about three hours away over Wolf Creek Pass, has more routes. Many visitors fly into Denver (DEN) or Colorado Springs (COS) and drive four to five hours.
By car
| To | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| South Fork | About 22 miles | 25 minutes |
| North Clear Creek Falls | About 25 miles | 35 minutes |
| Wolf Creek Pass | About 40 miles | 50 minutes |
| Lake City | About 52 miles | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Alamosa | About 70 miles | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Great Sand Dunes | About 100 miles | About 2 hours |
| Durango | About 145 miles | About 3 hours |
| Denver | About 270 miles | About 5 hours |
From the east, US 160 crosses the San Luis Valley through Alamosa, Monte Vista and Del Norte to South Fork, where Highway 149 turns north up the Rio Grande to Creede. From the west and south, US 160 comes over Wolf Creek Pass from Pagosa Springs and Durango. From the north, Highway 149 crosses the Continental Divide from Lake City.
Mountain roads
The highways are paved and open all year, but they cross high passes where snow and ice are common from October to May. Gravel backroads such as the Bachelor Loop and Pool Table Road open from late spring to autumn, and some need a high-clearance or four-wheel-drive vehicle. Read our guide to the Silver Thread Scenic Byway.
Getting around
- By car: the only practical way to explore. Fuel stations are few, so fill up in Creede or South Fork.
- On foot: the town itself is small and easy to walk.
- By jeep or ATV: rentals and guided tours are available locally and in Lake City for the rougher backroads.
- By bike: quiet paved and gravel roads, though the altitude makes every climb harder.
