Dining, Shopping, and Outdoor Attractions in Mancos

A special thanks to the Mancos Valley Visitors Center for this information!

Local Dining

Absolute Bakery & Cafe - Come dine in the 100-year old Bauer Bank building. An eclectic setting with eclectic food, from fresh baked goodies to full entrees, soups, salads and sandwiches. Coffee bar, box lunches, bookstore, and local art. 110 S. Main at the River. (970) 533-1200

Columbine Bar - Established 1903, one of Colorado’s oldest continuously operating bars. A drinking and eating establishment serving local brew and eclectic food. Pool, darts - live music most weekends.123 West Grand Ave. (970) 533-7397

Fahrenheit Coffee Roasters - Fresh roasted beans by the pound. Espresso bar pours fresh strong brew beginning at 6:30 M-F. Pick up a breakfast burrito to go and you're on your way! 121Railroad Avenue, in the back of Zuma's. (970) 533-7300

Kennebec Cafe and Bakery - Elegant dining in the La Plata Mountains.  Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner dining with full bar and extensive wine list.  Event Facility and Full Service Catering. 4 County Road 124, Hesperus.  (970) 247-5674 

Mancos Pizza Company- 280 E. Frontage Road #2. Delicous pizza, subs, calzones and a fresh salad bar.(970) 533-1390

Millwood Junction - Locally owned restaurant. Great food, daily specials, outside dining available, full bar, and call for info on concerts. 101 West Railroad Avenue. (970) 533-7338

Zuma Natural Foods - Espresso bar, breakfast burritos, homemade soups, salads, sushi rolls to-go and much more. Free wi-fi. 121 Railroad Ave. (970) 533-7300

Local Shopping

Arborena - Wine bar and cafe.  Contemporary art gallery and wireless internet in historic downtown Mancos.  114 W. Grand Avenue.  (970) 533-1381

Art of the Southwest - Local Artisans capture the charm of the Southwest with pyrographic images on Mancos grown gourds.  Each an orginal hand done piece of art. P.O Box 87, 277 E. 1st Street. (970) 533-7627

Artisans of Mancos - "Art in the Heart of Mancos,” featuring regional artists working in wood, photography, painting, sculpture, pottery, calligraphy, jewelry, literature, arrowheads, stained-glass and much more. 101 Grand Avenue. (970) 533-7040

Beehive -  A unique gift store and full service spa. 128 Grand Avenue.  (970) 533-9769

Buffalo Hand Made - Buffalo, elk and white tail deer are used for our beautiful hand-crafted gloves, pillows and accessories. Zuni and Navajo jewelry.  Upholstery, special orders.  245 N. Main Street.  (970) 533-1003  

FeVa Fotos - Photography! Framed and matted prints, photo cards, and other requests.  (970) 533-9068 

Gallery at Boyle Park (and Mancos Body Works Gym) - Custom leather, organic coffee bar, women's consignment clothing and used bookstore.  233 Park Street.  (970) 739-9518

Goodnight Trail Gallery of Western Art - Presenting the Finest of Paintings, Sculpture, Photography, Custom Saddles, Jewelry and Navajo Rugs by Artists of Distinction whose work reflects the landscape, wildlife and heritage of the American West.  100 West Grand Avenue.  
(970) 533-1177  

Mesa Verde Elk Ranch - 43930 Hwy 160.  (970) 533-7059 or email store@mesaverdeelk.com.

P&D Grocery - 280 East Frontage Road #5.  Food, produce and bakery goods; even a personal butcher.  (970) 533-7932

Raven House Gallery - A fine art gallery featuring the watercolors and pottery of Marilyn Kroeker and the photography of Steve Sykes.  120 W. Grand Avenue.  970-533-7419 

Up the Creek Antiques - Antiques, collectibles, consignment, Christian gifts, books and items of the west.  410 N. Beech Street.  970-533-7961

Views of The Valley - Photography for family and friends' events; birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and reuniions.  Community events and social gatherings.  Greeting cards and landscapes of the Four Corners area.  (970) 533-7841

Outdoor Attractions

(1) Mesa Verde National Park. The Park contains one of the world's best collections of cliff dwellings. It is one of the most popular attractions in the Southwest and is unique because it preserves the beauty of nature and the works of early man. Previously referred to as the Anasazi, the Ancestral Pueloan's thrived in the region from 600 to 1300 A.D. They then disappeared leaving behind fascinating historical relics. 

(2) Hovenweep National Monument. Hovenweep is west of Mancos towards the Colorado-Utah border. The ruins at Hovenweep are over 700 years old. Be sure to check with a ranger about visiting the outlying ruins. There are two routes to Hovenweep, South through the red rock beauty of McElmo cayon or north on Hwy 666 to Pleasant View. The lower ruin, west of Pleasant View, known for its great kiva and painted wall, is a fascinating bonus on this trip into the past.

(3) Ute Mountain Tribal Park. This park offers a personal experience for the visitor in the ruins just South of Mesa Verde.  All tours are hosted by the Ute Indian guides who will interpret the archaeology of the Park and the history of the Utes as you take this trip back in time. The mystical feeling of this tour allows you to feel as if you are amongst the first to walk on the ancient pathways. Reservations are necessary. Call 1-800-548-5485 x 282.

(4) Anasazi Heritage Center and Dolores Overlook. This day trip odyssey begins with the Anasazi Heritage Center, (970) 882-5600, the sourthwest's state-of-the-art museum. It is a large research and artifact storage facility for the study and interpretation of the Anasazi culture. This is a "must see" for Mesa Verde Country visitors.  Continuing west on Hwy 484, turn North on Hwy 491 to the South edge of Dove Creek, then East to the Dolores Canyon Overlook, eleven miles to the Northeast. The spectacular views of the winding Dolores River Canyon and the mountain ranges of Southwest Colorado and Southeast Utah surprise the visitor with their beauty. This is the Grand Canyon of Colorado! It is a 1/2 mile deep, red-walled canyon with the Dolores River far below, winding its way north to the Colorado River.

(5) Upper Dolores Valley- Rico, Dunton, The Meadows. The headwaters of the Dolores River are high in the San Juan Mountains near Lizard Head Pass. This is a lazy day trip which takes the visitor through Dunton, a turn of the century gold-mining town. You pass through the meadows and tall Aspens to meet Highway 145 above Rico. This trip puts on a great fall show.

(6) McPhee Lake. McPhee, the second largest body of water in Colorado, offers all the pleasures of excellent fishing, boating, water skiing, camping, hiking and relaxing. There are fisherman access points, boat ramps, picnic and camping and recreation areas all around the lake. McPhee is just a few minutes from Mancos and offers a quick getaway anytime of the day. What a wonderful way to experience a Colorado sunset. The lake overlook offers you a 360 panorama of four states and several mountain ranges.

(7) Telluride. Nestled deep in the San Juan Mountains, is a leisurely hour and a half from Mancos on Hwy 145 via Hwy 184.  Telluride offers a wonderful day's worth of history and adventure for the whole family. Telluride is a National Historic District located in a box canyon surrounded by towering peaks.  Butch Cassidy robbed his first bank there, but there's more than history; Telluride hosts music, art, film, food, balloon, hang gliding and even mushroom, and photography events and festivals over the course of each summer. Nature puts on her own show during the colorful Fall festivals hosted in this spectacular mountain town.

(8) San Juan Skyway. This 236 mile loop takes you through the heart of the San Juan Mountains through old mining towns and back to Mesa Verde Country. From Mancos, you can take the loop either way, passing through Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Ridgeway, Telluride, Ophir, Rico, Dolores and Cortez. This is an excellent way to capture the grandeur of Southwest Colorado.

(9) Monument Valley and The Four Corners Monument. Drive West into John Wayne country and visit the majestic and mysterious rock formations that form the Valley of the Navajo.  The geology is fascination and will make your trip even more interesting. A film crew in the valley is still a common sight. There are two routes to the valley; both have exciting trips to them. Four Corners Monument, the only place in the United States where four states meet, is a "must stop" to take pictures of each other while standing in four states.

(10) Canyonlands National Park. Canyonlands is a magical collection of sinuous red rock canyons dissected by intermittent stream beds and washes. It's a great place to explore, whether hiking, backpacking, mounting biking or by jeep. You'll find ancient ruins, natural arches and breathtaking vistas. In the Spring or Fall, Canyonlands is even more breathtaking with the changing of seasons. There are two entrances to Canyonlands; the first at Newspaper Rock (an ancient message board), the seond North of Moab at the awe inspiring Island in the Sky area.

(11) Arches National Park. Arches has the largest concentration of natural arches in the world. Over 1000 natural arches have been mapped in this park just North of Moab, Utah. Many formations of red rock sandstone are visible from the 21 mile paved road. Don't cheat yourself though; the hiking in Arches is worth the time for the incredible views. An informative Visitor Center, which is open all year. introduces you to the Park and it's terrain.

(12) Aztec National Monument, Salmon Ruins, Chimney Rock. This loop drive takes you into Northwest new Mexico to explore the ruins at Aztec national Monument in Aztec, NM and the Salmon Ruins near Farmington, NM. On the return journey, you can relax at Navajo Lake which straddles the Colorado/New Mexico border on the Southern Ute Reservation. Further North on Hwy 151, you'll find Chimney Rock archaeologoical ruins.

(13) D & S Narrow Gauge Railroad. Travel by historic train along the Animas River and into the San Juan backcountry wilderness for an unforgettable adventure!   Located at 479 Main Avenue, Durango. 970-259-0274.