Because I married a Colorado man; Mancos, Colorado has become more than a small town to pass through. Mancos, Colorado has become our oasis and our escape! This beautiful small town has it all! Mountains, history, small town feel, pizza, cookies, Aspen Trees, a National Park, lakes, bald eagles; I mean honestly I could go on and on. Located at the base of Colorado, this is where desert meets mountains! This is Mancos, Colorado!
Where To Stay
When in Mancos, Colorado there is no question of where you need to set camp; San Juan National Forest! First off, let me just say that it is FREE! That right there is a pretty big deal! I mean traveling is so expensive and the biggest expense is where to stay. That is a rant for another day though! My point is that you can stay in Mancos, Colorado for free!!
Directions:
There are many entrances into the San Juan National Forest, but there is one right in Mancos. Just drive up to the northside of town, up N Main St. Take a right at Rd 42 and just drive it up and up and up. It will eventually turn into Rd 561 as you enter into the National Forest. Technically when you enter into the National Forest you can set up camp pretty much where ever.
Don’t just stop and set up camp yet though! Just keep driving, trust me it gets better and better the further you drive. Keep driving and the road will eventually turn into a gravel road. This is where it starts to get really beautiful! This is where the pine trees will turn into Aspen trees!! It is gorgeous!
I wouldn’t suggest setting up camp until you get past the split of Rd 560 and Rd 561. Either road is beautiful to go. Rd 560 has a lot more open spaces to set up camp, but Rd 561 is SO beautiful but also SO busy on weekends. Pretty much where ever you see an open spot you can drive up and make camp.
Camping in the San Juan National Forest is not like camping other places, you are legit camping here! There are no distinct camping spaces, not fire pits, no restrooms, no parking spots, just straight wilderness for you to park and enjoy.
Supplies You Will Need For Primitive Camping:
There are no bathrooms so you will want to bring your own!
Like I said no amenities are offered at San Juan National Forest. So if you want to clean up you need to bring your own shower. Just fill up the bag, solar will heat it, place it in your bathroom tent, and there’s your shower.
It gets pretty cold at night even in the summer. This propane heater works so good at keeping a tent warm.
Personally I love fleece lined sleeping bags because its like sleeping in a giant blanket and keeps me so warm!
This instant tent is amazing! It is so easy to put up and take down, it only takes a few minutes to get it all put together. For us it has held up in high winds and intense downpours with no problems at all! It is the best tent ever!
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Things To Do
Grab A Breakfast Burrito At Absolute Bakery
In the 7 years I have traveled to Mancos, Colorado; every single time I drive through town I always see a line out the door of Absolute Bakery. Eventually my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to try it out myself! This tiny little bakery is super cute! They sell fresh bread, all sorts of cookies and brownies, and so much more.
We stopped by for breakfast and got a delicious breakfast burrito and of course we had to try their cookies! Our favorite was the orange chocolate chip cookie! Breakfast isn’t the only meal offered here! There are a ton of sandwich, soup, salad, and pasta options for lunch and dinner. This is a cute place to eat, but like I said it gets pretty busy so just be prepared to wait.
Location: 110 S Main St, Mancos, CO 81328
Hours: Tues-Sat 7am-2pm, Sun 7am-12pm, CLOSED MON
Hike Box Canyon Trail
I have hiked all over the United States and I am not gonna lie, this is one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever been on. This hike in total is about 13.5 miles there and back, but honestly you could hike only a mile and you will be amazed!
In just that mile you will hike through a flat giant pine tree forest. Once the trail starts to descend you will reach an incredible viewpoint of Sharktooth Mountain. I mean it is breathtaking! In that first mile you will also hike down deep into a forest of Aspen trees, wildflowers, and just pure beauty! That is all just 1 mile in!
As you continue, you get into fields of wildflowers, cross gorgeous creeks, and will most likely see deer. There are so much deer in the San Juan National Forest. It is just a beautiful hike. This trail is beautiful, but it is also pretty difficult. By difficult I mean you will be going up and down constantly.
It is also pretty rocky so if you are like me and have bad knees than you should bring hiking poles. I know they look dorky, but honestly they will save your knees on this rocky trail.
Location:
Paddleboard At Mancos State Park
One of the things I love most about Colorado is that there are bodies of water all around the state. Lakes, rivers, creeks, ponds; just all kinds of water all around. As someone who lives in the desert of Texas, water is a pretty dang big deal. Mancos has several ponds and rivers, but the best place to get close to the water is Mancos State Park.
This beautiful state park offers the best variety of water activities in Mancos, Colorado. You can fish, paddleboard, kayak, or simply just walk around and enjoy the view. When we visited, we even watched a Bald Eagle swoop down and try to catch a fish.
There is a hiking trail around the lake for hiking or horseback riding. The hiking trail is super easy and practically flat the entire way around the lake.
Camping and hunting are also offered at Mancos State Park at certain times of the year. They even have yurts to camp in!!
Location: 42545 Road N, Mancos, CO 81328
Hours: open 24 hrs
Admission: $10 day use
Trail:
Watch The Sunset At Big Al Trail Viewpoint
Another fun hike in Mancos, Colorado is the Big Al Trail! It is gorgeous!! This trail is super easy and is only a mile long. The trail leads you into a gorgeous forest of Aspen trees. The majority of the trail is pretty flat with some inclines and descents every so often, but not steep at all. My 2 year old was able to hike this trail all by himself, no problem.
There is quite a bit of shade, but I still advise you to wear sunscreen because of the higher elevation. I definitely got burned, even on this short of a hike.
The hike takes you to a deck that has a gorgeous overlook of the San Juan Forest and Sharktooth Mountain. This is a hike you will not want to miss!
Location:
Try Mancos Pizza
For such a small town, Mancos has quite a selection of restaurants to eat at. I personally am a huge fan of pizza so we had to try Mancos Pizza! I recommend grabbing your pizza to go and heading up to the Mancos Overlook over next to the Big Al Trail, it is the best place for a picnic in Mancos, Colorado!
There are quite a bit of flavors that Mancos Pizza. I wouldn’t say it is the best pizza I have had, just because the crust is super dry, but the pizza part is delicious and they are pretty good size!
Location: 280 E Frontage Rd UNIT 5, Mancos, CO 81328
Hours: everyday 6am-8pm
Ride A 4 Wheeler Around The Trails In San Juan National Forest
Every time I visit Mancos, Colorado there is one thing I always have to do and that is to ride a jeep or 4 wheeler around the trails of the San Juan National Forest! If you drive up Rd 42 from Mancos, Colorado you will reach the southern entrance to the San Juan National Forest. The road will eventually transition from an asphalt road into a gravel road.
To the left side of the road you will find a large parking area for the Upper Chicken Creek Trail. This parking lot is large enough to park your trailer, unload those 4 wheelers, and go for a ride. There are trails all over these mountains for you to go 4 wheeling or ride a jeep.
Location: north of Mancos on Rd 42 as it transitions into Rd 561 as you enter the San Juan National Forest
Hike To The Ruins In Mesa Verde National Park
Can you believe that this tiny little town is right next door to a National Park!? The mountain that makes up Mesa Verde National Park overlooks Mancos. Mesa Verde is a huge National Park built up a desert mountainside that houses, well, houses…or what’s left of them. Mesa Verde is covered with ancient native American ruins built into the mountainsides.
Mesa Verde has a museum, tons (and I mean tons) of trails, tours, wild horses, overlooks, and just plain beauty. It is a beautiful, hot, and amazing National Park for those of all ages.
The biggest downside to Mesa Verde is that you HAVE to make reservations in order to go see the biggest ruins. To make reservations for the ruins click here.
Location:
Hours:
Open 24 hours
Admission:
$15 to Walk in/ (May 1-Oct 22) $30 per vehicle, $25 motorcycle/ (Oct 23-Apr 30) $20 per vehicle, $20 motorcycle
Day Trips From Mancos, Colorado:
Hike to up the hill to the Canyon of the Ancient National Monument ruins
Swim at Lake Narraguinnep Reservoir
Hike to Falls Creek Waterfall
Walk through the ruins at Lowry Pueblo
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