Area Information

Pagosa Springs got its name from the Ute Indians who called the hot spring "Pagosah' or "healing waters". During July of 1859, Captain J.N. Macomb led a group of US Topographical Engineers through the area and is probably the first white American to officially see and accurately describe the hot spring. In 1875, Major Foote made claim to the parcel of land and hot springs. In 1876, Dr. Frank Keebles made claim to the same parcel of land. Settlement was reached in favor of Major Foote. in 1876, Welch Nossaman settled in Pagosa to be chased away by the Indians, and returned the next spring.

On May 20, 1885 Archuleta County was created, named for the Archuleta family from Conejos County, covering 1,100 square miles. Pagosa Springs was incorporated in 1891 and became the county seat. Attention then returned to the hot spring itself as a possible health resort for people with all sorts of ills. Bathing in or drinking the mineral water was said to cure everything from rheumatism to obesity. The railroad was talked about in Pagosa Springs as early as 1878, but because of constant friction between various companies for the job of building the railroad, the first train did not arrive in Pagosa Springs until October 13, 1900 when the construction train finally made its way to town. Regularly scheduled runs began Monday October 22, 1900. The sawmill boom continued with sometimes as many as four separate mills going in the area at once until the Depression, when the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad abandoned the Pagosa Springs branch. The last run was made in 1935. The above has been contributed by the Archuleta County Library. The library is located at the intersection of Hwy 160 & South 8th Street. You're cordially invited to use the facilities. Area climate is typical of that in the high mountain valleys. Summers are mild and winters cold. Rapid weather changes are common as storms travel across the mountain ranges - usually from west to east through the region. Within town and down the valley, the micro-climate is affected by the numerous hot springs in the area. The area experiences a wide variation in temperatures from summer to winter and from day to night, and an extreme variation in precipitation. Monthly snowfall averages a total of over 100 inches from September to May. There is low humidity and lots of sunshine. Much interest in solar heating of homes, hot water heaters and greenhouses is in evidence throughout the county. Points of interest in the area include the Chimney Rock Indian Ruins, Treasure Falls, Treasure Mountain (where legend has it that $5 million in gold bars are still buried), the Great Hot Springs, the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, Durango-Silverton Railroad, Creed Repertory Theatre, the Upper San Juan Historical Museum, the Fred Harman Art Museum and more. You'll also want to check out the Archuleta County Fair, the ColorFest and WinterFest/Balloon Rallies, Music In the Mountains, Four Corners Folk Festival, 4th of July Parade, Red Ryder Rodeo and much more. Pagosa Springs has an excellent school system with elementary, intermediate, middle and high schools. The community also offers private schools, an alternative school and an adult education center. The nearest college is Ft. Lewis College. Area hospitals and medical centers near Pagosa Springs include the Rio Grande Hospital, Mercy Medical Center of Durango and Conejos County Hospital. You'll find plenty of skiing and recreation at Wolf Creek Ski Area, Wolf Creek Pass and Williams Creek plus good access to 4 national forest campgrounds, striking scenery and great fishing for rainbow trout and kokanee salmon. There's also great fishing at Echo Lake, Buckles/Harris Lakes and Opal Lake. The San Juan National Forest surrounds Pagosa Springs and also offers good fishing lakes, excellent hunting and numerous hiking and backpacking trails. Pagosa Springs offers a championship 27-hole golf course plus high quality tennis courts. The Springs Resort/hotel provides an indoor pool, spa, whirlpool baths, recreation center, biking and boating facilities.

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