Southwest Colorado
Counties: La Plata (Durango) , Montezuma (Cortez), Archuleta (Pagosa Springs)

Southwestern Colorado is a mixture of terrain, climate, and community. Cities range from the busier county seats of Durango, Cortez and Pagosa Springs to smaller communities of Bayfield, Ignacio, Hermosa, Hesperus and several un-incorporated areas.

The terrain varies from the rolling plateau just north of the New Mexico state line to the peaks of the La Plata mountains that overlook the city of Durango and areas of Vallecito, the Animas Valley, and Durango Mountain Resort. Rolling plains and open spaces are more commonly found near Bayfield and Ignacio, while Cortez rests at the south end of the western slope that forms the Colorado Rockies. Varied terrain that extends from high desert bordering Utah, to the plateaus of the Grand Mesa to the north. Durango is nestled in the valley beneath towering mountains and rolling foothills, with the Animas River as a constant companion to the activities and changes of the local seasons.