La Plata Canyon Jeep Tours from Durango
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4 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
Good for avoiding crowds
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Overview
Explore a rugged mountain landscape on a half-day Jeep tour to La Plata Canyon, and discover high-alpine meadows, avalanche gullies, and Colorado wildflowers with an experienced guide at the wheel. Both morning and afternoon departures are available for this La Plata Canyon tour, which departs from an office in Durango.
- Jeep tour of La Plata Canyon
- Travel through a glacier-carved canyon in an open vehicle
- Take Jeep tracks to a high mountain pass
- Watch for wildlife and wildflowers
- See an abandoned 19th-century mining encampment
- Choose between morning and afternoon departures
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Make your way to the tour office for morning or afternoon departure, then board an open-top Jeep for the trip to La Plata Canyon, which has the distinctive, U-shaped landscape left by ancient glaciers. With peaks on either side of the scenic canyon, enjoy great views throughout the drive, while riding higher and higher into the mountains.
Watch for wildlife as you follow rugged Jeep trails past several small waterfalls and mountain rivers. Climb to alpine meadows to find bright wildflowers, then discover La Plata City, an abandoned mining town that was first established in the frontier days of 1875, with visible remnants of old mining claims.
Reach Kennebec Pass at 12,000 feet (3,658 mt.) above sea level, with majestic views to Cortez and Telluride, and a bird’s-eye perspective on spruce tree forests, peaks, and river valleys. Following your time at the pass, trace the Jeep roads back out of La Plata Canyon and return to the original departure point, where this tour concludes.
Watch for wildlife as you follow rugged Jeep trails past several small waterfalls and mountain rivers. Climb to alpine meadows to find bright wildflowers, then discover La Plata City, an abandoned mining town that was first established in the frontier days of 1875, with visible remnants of old mining claims.
Reach Kennebec Pass at 12,000 feet (3,658 mt.) above sea level, with majestic views to Cortez and Telluride, and a bird’s-eye perspective on spruce tree forests, peaks, and river valleys. Following your time at the pass, trace the Jeep roads back out of La Plata Canyon and return to the original departure point, where this tour concludes.
Itinerary
Discover the spectacular La Plata Canyon (20 minutes West of Durango) and its beautiful U formation created by glaciers on one of our Colorado jeep tours. Several small waterfalls and cascading rivers follow the rugged jeep trails in the springtime along with lots of wildlife such as marmots, mule deer, elk herds, juncos, kingfishers, turkey vultures, red-tailed hawks and bald eagles.
On our guided jeep tours you will see numerous wildflowers, high-alpine meadows, and avalanche gullies. Following the La Plata River (meaning “Silver” in Spanish) to La Plata City, an old mining town established in 1875, you’ll discover the remnants of old mining claims. These include a tall intact chimney left from the crew quarters, the framework of old cabins, and tailing piles from actual mining areas. Then, you’ll continue to the peak of Kennebec Pass at 12,000 feet above sea level (also above tree-line).
Duration: 4 hours
Admission Ticket Included
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La Plata Canyon Jeep Tours from Durango
4 hours
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