Pagosa Country can be a magical place, and the beauty of the area has attracted visitors for more than a century.

The elements that contribute to the beauty and desirability of the local environment are many: wild game, stately timbers, lush valleys, sparkling rivers, scenic seclusion, imposing mountains. And these are only a few of the reasons why so many visitors fall in love with the area and why some eventually put down roots in or near Pagosa Springs. Unlike more modern, homogenized “retreats” in the Rockies, Pagosa Country doesn’t offer everything money can buy, but it does offer more of the things money can’t.

If you’re tired of the hectic hustle and bustle of big-city life, Pagosa is the place for you — especially if you’re also tired of the hectic hustle and bustle of glitzy Rocky Mountain resort towns. It is a truly wonderful place to visit and to explore. It is a special place in which to live.

Basic services abound

Pagosa has an excellent public library, art galleries, bookstores, churches, gas stations, grocery stores, a movie theater, motels, museums, restaurants and specialty shops.

Information is available

If you need directions or information, cross the bridge on Hot Springs Boulevard and then take a quick right turn. You will find the Pagosa Springs Area Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center on the southwest bank of the San Juan River. Designed to represent one of the early-day bath houses of Pagosa Springs, the Visitor Center offers a wealth of information, including maps, vacation brochures and displays.

World’s largest hot spring

A short walk south from the Visitor Center will take you to “The Great Pagosah — the Largest, Hottest Spring in the World.” Just stroll a bit south from the Visitor Center on Hot Springs Boulevard until you’re southwest of The Springs complex. Follow the paved path to the spring and you will find informative signs describing the geological phenomena that brought about the geothermal mineral spring.

If you’re a swimmer, the Spa Motel at the corner of San Juan Street and Hot Springs Boulevard offers an outdoor swimming pool and indoor mineral baths fed by a geothermal well which taps the Pagosa Springs aquifer. The Springs also offers an outdoor pool and outdoor geothermal hot tubs located next to the San Juan River, featuring water temperatures to suit every need, as well as a spacious bathhouse with locker rooms and showers.

History on display

If you’re a history buff, head east from the Hot Springs Boulevard bridge and walk three blocks to the San Juan Historical Society Museum located at the 1st Street bridge on Pagosa Street. (Pagosa Street is also U.S. 160.)

Housed in what was once the town’s water plant, the San Juan Historical Society Museum offers an extensive collection of items and exhibits depicting the history of Pagosa.

Outdoor activities

Backpackers, campers, hikers and other adventuresome souls will want to visit the U.S. Forest Service Pagosa Ranger District Office at Second and Pagosa streets, just two blocks east of U.S. 160 and Hot Springs Boulevard. Their staff can provide a wealth of information about hiking trails, campsites, fishing and tours of ancestral Puebloan ruins at Chimney Rock.

Pagosa Country offers archaeological sites, art galleries, ballooning, biking, boating, camping, fishing, golf, hiking, horseback-riding, hunting, loafing, museums, photography, rafting, sight-seeing, swimming, tennis, trail rides, tours, water skiing, wind surfing and visiting with old or new friends.

For the earliest Indian inhabitants of the area, Pagosa was considered a land of healing waters. For today’s vacationers, Pagosa is a land of invigorating experiences.

If this is your first time to Pagosa Country, make yourself at home in the midst of the most beautiful scenery and friendliest people in Colorado.

If you’ve been here before, welcome back.