Last summer, my husband and I visited two nice RV parks in Southern Colorado, Echo Basin Cabin and RV Resort, and Dolores River RV Resort.
Where is Echo Basin RV Resort located?
Echo Basin RV Resort is located in Mancos, Colorado, about an hour from the Four Corners. During the summer, Mancos stays unbelievably cool up in the mountains. Temperatures are mild during the day and cool at night.
It is stunningly beautiful in Echo Basin. Getting back to nature in God’s country is awe-inspiring for sure.
First impressions of Echo Basin Cabin and RV Resort
We were thrilled by the large RV sites, especially ours. It was next to a beautiful pond, was padded, and had room for our rug next to the provided picnic table.
We always like it when campgrounds provide picnic tables because my husband has a place for his tabletop pellet smoker/grill.
Amenities and atmosphere at Echo Basin RV Resort
Echo Basin RV Resort offers stunning scenery and amenities for RVers, including 65 full-hookup RV sites, a small park store (and mail pickup), laundry facilities, a bathhouse, an outdoor pool, and a bar and grill. The campground also offers plenty of on-site activities, including pickleball, volleyball, horseshoes, and billiards. If you want to explore outside of the campground, there are four-wheeling trails nearby and access to the San Juan National Forest.
Even though we stayed in an RV site while visiting Echo Basin, it didn’t stop us from admiring the rustic cabins.
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Weddings at Echo Basin
We were surprised to find out the cabins were part of the resort’s wedding venue. These cabins are a perfect place for wedding guests to stay. You would never expect an awesome wedding venue to be hidden amongst the hills of southwestern Colorado, but it was, and it was busy.
The park treats wedding guests to everything on-site, and lucky wedding goers can also take a horse-drawn carriage ride.
Why Echo Basin RV Resort stands out
Back at the resort, friends like Judy and Sherry taught me to play Mahjong, and I was hooked. Once we moved to Dolores, we still visited each other to keep up our weekly games.
Checking out at the end of our stay was bittersweet by the time we moved on, as we had come to know the staff and semi-permanent residents like family.
Nature and scenery around Echo Basin
We took full advantage of the nature and scenery around Echo Basin, taking long drives through the foothills of the San Juan Mountains and walking to stay in shape. We took so many gorgeous photos while visiting for the summer.
The Aspens are gorgeous during the summer, and their fluttering leaves fascinated me no end. It was just as mesmerizing to watch the leaves as it is to watch waves coming in and out of the ocean. I often got distracted while playing games in the community center by the leaves fluttering.
The pines are so thick, you’d never count them all. Seeing them felled while Jeeping one day was so sad, but it was the result of a storm that had gone through before we arrived. There were so many fallen trees; no one had cleared them yet, or maybe they just left them as-is.
Nearby towns to explore in Southwest Colorado
Mancos, Dolores, Cortez, and Durango
We also toured the towns of Mancos, Dolores, and Cortez, and took the shorter of the two Durango train rides. (There’s one that is eight hours long).
We spent the most time in Mancos, as it’s a short ride from Echo Basin and has a lovely downtown area with art galleries, a brewery, ciderworks, quaint boutiques, and a grocery store. There’s a lot more, of course, including a dispensary, liquor store, and a health food market. We enjoyed Burro Fest, an annual festival, authentic fry bread, fresh Mexican food, and art and jewelry vendors.
Jeep tours in the San Juan Mountains
One of Echo Basin’s part-time residents — Judy Lewis — took us on a few guided Jeep tours through the mountains way above the resort, which were sometimes on the edge-of-your-seat thrilling! One wrong move might plunge you into the pines if you’re not careful. Lucky for us, Judy kept us on the trail. She had much experience as a guide.
Mesa Verde National Park and ancient dwellings
Another nearby attraction was the ancient dwellings of the Ute Indian Tribe in Mesa Verde National Park. From a spot in the hills next to our resort, you can see the image of a sleeping Ute formed by the mountain range.
When we visited Mesa Verde, I wasn’t strong enough to do the actual tour; I was dealing with back issues at the time, but we still managed to get fabulous pictures regardless.
I believe the hike through the dwellings is two grueling miles with ladders provided to climb out. During our time in Mesa Verde, we saw the pit houses, ancient pottery, weapons, and so much more. We learned how valuable these primitive peoples were in shaping the American landscape. They valued and used the land and the animals as much as possible.
Today, these dwellings are guarded and protected, and what remains is preserved.
Staying at Dolores River RV Resort
Earlier, I mentioned the small town of Dolores. The Dolores River RV Resort backs up to the Dolores River, a fact which delighted my husband. He learned to fly fish there.
The resort is quiet during the summer, and features cabins, yurts, and covered wagons for guests to stay in, as well as 50 or so RV spots. The park doesn’t have any planned activities, but guests are welcome to use the activity center. The activity center is where Echo Basin friends and I gathered to play Mahjong when they came to visit us.
Life in the town of Dolores, Colorado
I made friends in town at the hair salon and a delightful art gallery. Hopefully, we will return to Dolores next summer so I can catch up with all of them again.
The RV park’s location, between two mountain ranges in a sort of canyon, makes watching TV challenging, so we’d visit Dolores’s local library, which was quite big for such a small town, and check out DVDs, just like you would books. That’s how we saw seasons 1-4 of Yellowstone.
In town, there were two great Mexican restaurants. We all used to have lunch after playing Mahjong.
While we were in Delores, we also visited the EsoTerra Ciderworks Tasting Room and tasted a few of their crisp apple ciders. As much as I thought I liked it, what I tasted before was nothing compared to these wine-like beverages. We sipped while enjoying snacks and live music! You never know what delight awaits you in a charming small town.
Day trips from Dolores River RV Resort
Telluride, Colorado
One day, we took off for a ride and found ourselves in Telluride, a local ski resort. What a beautiful place! I wished it had not been raining; there was so much here to explore, from the waterfall to the gondola, shops, and restaurants. We need to visit again on the next trip around.
Rico, Colorado
We also visited Rico, a small mining town. We ate lunch at an old mine turned eatery, then went to hunt rocks around a few old mines, but couldn’t get near enough to do it. Most of what I found was not worth trying to tumble, as it was flaky. Rock tumbling is one of my many hobbies.
Why RVing in Southwest Colorado is special
My phone’s camera is loaded with pictures from many drives up in the mountains surrounding both of these quaint RV Resorts, and I wish I could share them all here.
Of course, we find something special almost everywhere we go. We get to know people, make connections, and keep up with them long after the adventures are over. That is the beauty of RVing! That and seeing God’s beauty on display, no matter where we roam.
Check out more of Kim’s RV travels on FRVAdventure:
 I’m Kim and I’m traveling with my hubby Dave and our two Shorkies Whiskey & Brandy. I love writing about my passions, my faith, my family, and now our new lifestyle as newbie full-time RVers. I like photography, so I’m documenting our journey with places, wildlife, nature, and activities along the way. Discovering new places and making friends along the way! Join us on our journey. You can find me at my blog Twisted Trunk Travels. |
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