Well friends, things have gotten a bit stressful out here in the San Juan National Forest paradise. On the 2nd, Bri and I drove down from Buena Vista to Durango (a grueling 4 hours through the Great Sand Dunes and the Rocky Mountains). For some reason we both really struggled on this drive (possible altitude sickness from a 1,500 foot elevation gain?), and couldn't have been more thrilled or thoroughly exhausted to get out of the cars.
After walking around historic downtown Durango for a while, we reluctantly got back in the caravan and headed straight west on Highway 160 for exactly 11 1/2 miles, until we reached the town of Hesperus, where we drove north on County Road 124 (look for the Kennebeck Cafe). Once on 124, we went about 5 miles directly into the heart of the San Juan Mountains, until we crossed a cattle guard and a sign notifying us of our entry onto USDA land. Here, the paved road gives way to hard packed dirt (okay for 2WD) as you enter the La Plata Canyon (the La Plata River is on the right/east).
Campgrounds begin popping up immediately once on the dirt section of 124; there's Snowslide, Kroeger, Miner's Cabin, and the very last campground with vaulted toilets is Madden (on the right). A few of the campgrounds are fee areas (Snowslide and Kroeger, about $15-$17 per night), while a few others are free (Miner's Cabin and Madden). Drinking water can be found via a ground pump in Kroeger Campground.
We set up our camp along the pristine trickle that is Madden Creek. Although the campground has seen a rotation of visitors (4th of July weekend), our camp site is the most secluded, set back in the forest, and very spacious. Exhausted as hell, dinner that night was a bucket of fried chicken from Albertson's and a 6 pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
-Mickey
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