Many of our tours in this region begin with a visit to the ghost town of St. Elmo, largely deserted after a fire in 1890. From there we’ll climb above the tree line to see abandoned mines, alpine meadows, and high mountain lakes. We may have time for a snowball fight, even in July and August! On the way, we’ll drive across South Park, the site of an ancient sea bed, where hundreds of pronghorn antelope roam along with a few bison. With any luck, we may see a variety of other wildlife including pikas, marmots, and even moose. Because routes in this area require approximately 1 hour of scenic highway travel to the start of the trail, all tours in this region are full-day excursions. While the higher elevations in this area are only open to travel from mid-summer through mid-fall, typically June through October, other routes are available year-round.
TOUR SUMMARY
Cost: Vehicle (Includes guests 1 & 2) $595; Additional guests (3 – 6) $95 ea
Duration: Approximately 8 hours
Departure: 8:00 AM, 8:30 AM, or 9:00 AM
Check-In: 15 minutes before tour departure
Availability: Year-round
Ages: All ages are welcome. Customers with children must bring their own booster or car seats.
Meals: Snacks and beverages are included with every tour, and full-day tours include a picnic lunch.
Depending on the route, tour highlights may include:
- Historic towns of Buena Vista and Salida
- Ghost towns
- Abandoned mines
- Stream crossings
- Abandoned railroad tunnels
- Travel above timberline
- Play in the snow year-round
- Wildflower meadows in summer and breathtaking foliage in the fall
- Possible wildlife sightings of deer, elk, antelope, bear, bighorn sheep, moose, hawks, and eagles.
