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In Colorado, one of the most popular states for tourism,
many tourist publications make no mention of Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
New! Where Ya Fishin’ Guide & Fish Types List
(By the Pagosa Springs Area Chamber of Commerce)
 Still, you cannot say it hasn't been discovered. Five of the fastest growing counties in the United States during 1995-96 were in Colorado, and Archuleta County was in second place with a population increase of eleven percent. If the editors of tourist publications haven't found Pagosa Springs, the people wanting to move to a mountain retreat certainly have, and the population has doubled since 1990. While "Main Street" hasn't changed appreciably, there has been a big increase in the businesses in town. The old grocery store, where residents used to play bump'm carts with tourists and hunters, is now peaceful since the opening of the huge new store on west US 160. Other signs of progress: you can now purchase a vegetarian pizza and top it with salsa made in Pagosa Springs.
What brings all these people to Pagosa Springs? Remember the advice they used to give for success in business, before the World Wide Web changed things? "Location, location, location." Pagosa Springs has "location." The headwaters of the San Juan River are just north of town in the mountains. The San Juan and Rio Grande National Forests contain two wilderness areas where you can get away and pretend to be a mountain man or woman. The Wolf Creek Ski Area is just up the road on Wolf Creek Pass, about which C. W. McCall wrote a song. [His real name is Bill Fries, and he is a former mayor of Ouray.] And the hunting is good in the forests. Finally, when your muscles get stiff from hiking or skiing, you can plunge into a pool of natural hot springs water to unwind.
by Larry Larason
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