Stop #7: Riverbend Resort, South Fork, CO
- Denisse Storti
- Apr 27, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 28, 2023
By this time it was the beginning of March and since we wanted to go somewhere where the kids could play in the snow and ski we knew we had to get there quick before it was too late in the season. We initially considered going somewhere in New Mexico, Taos for example, but it was pricey and we weren't sure we'd get good snow in that area this time of the year. We also didn't want to venture to far north because while our RV claimed to be winterized we weren't too sure how well it would do in below freezing temperatures. So with all this in mind, we googled 'best snow resorts in Southern Colorado' and the internet delivered. Among the list that came up, Wolf Creek Ski Area caught our attention. Nestled between the towns of Pagosa Springs and South Fork, this ski area claims to receive the most snow in the state of Colorado. We searched for RV campgrounds and while most were closed for the season, we found Riverbend Resort which turned out to be a little gem of a campsite.
We were coming from Palo Duro Canyon which meant it would be an 8 hour drive from there, so we decided to break it up by stopping at Raton Pass Camp and Cafe on the edge of the New Mexico-Colorado boarder. We booked that campground online for one night, as we've done with other campgrounds, and saw it as a done deal. We made good time that day with our travel and even stopped for an hour or so at Capulin Volcano when seeing the signs for it on the road - who can resist going inside the crater of a volcano?! Here, the kids did the junior ranger program for the first time and got a badge and patch for their efforts. We hiked down to the crater and took in the amazing views of the volcanic range from the top. So, we took our time, since we thought we didn't have much further to go.
However, to our surprise, when we reached Raton Pass there was no-one there to check us in and all the gates were locked. At that point, we decided to suck it up and make it all the way to South Fork that same day (upon calling the campground to confirm that was ok) which had us arriving at Riverbend Resort in the dark, which we had been trying to avoid.... even more so in the snow. Thankfully, all went well and we made it safely to this very beautiful winter wonderland in Colorado.
Riverbend Resort is located along the banks of the South Fork of Rio Grand River and is surrounded by beautiful mountains. Covered in snow, the river area looked like it came straight out of a snow globe and served as the most magical playground for our kids. Here they built snow men, made snow angels, built igloos (or attempted to!), and sledded non-stop. The owners and staff at Riverbend were the nicest people and super accommodating. This resort not only offers RV sites, but also has cabins and RV's for rent. They also have a nice playground for the kids and a hot tub, which we got to enjoy après ski.
When booking our stay we thought we would be narrowly avoiding the spring break crowds but it turned out to be the beginning of Spring Break for Texas schools and the busiest time of the season for the ski area. We visited the ski rentals store at Wolf Creek the day after our arrival and they confirmed it would be crowded Sunday through Thursday so we then decided to just wait it out and extend our stay in order to ski later on. In the days leading up to that, we drove around the area, the kids had a blast sledding and playing in the snow, we visited Pagosa for an afternoon at a hot spring, and did something none of us had done before: we went snowmobiling!
We booked our snowmobile tour with Wolf Creek Snowmobile Tours out of Pagosa Springs. It was a great way to see the beautiful backcountry. We lucked out with a gorgeous sunny day, so visibility was great and we therefore weren't freezing our butts off during our ride. The scenery was breathtaking and our guide was awesome. At the beginning of the tour he warned that some of us might tip over or get stuck and indeed all but one of the people in the tour (a grandma!) did. lol My daughter and I tipped over when driving around in an open area and getting into some deep snow and Paul and our son got stuck in deep snow in the same area. Both happened in slow motion and no one got hurt, so this all just added to the adventure. This was a great experience for us all, including me despite having to drive on some cliffy paths that had me clutching onto the handlebars a bit too tight.
Pagosa Springs is known for their hot springs, some of which our out in nature for people to enjoy free of charge - there's one right in the middle of Pagosa. When looking up where to go, two places came up on our search: Healing Waters Resort & Spa and The Springs Resort & Spa. The Springs Resort offers many different pools for soaking in and they offer a day pass costing $65 for adults and $35 for children. It's a nice spa with a beautiful setting
overlooking the river, but we thought it would be a bit much for us to be there for an hour or so. Healing Waters charges only $20 for adults and $15 for kids so we opted to go for that. Alas, you get what you pay for. Healing Waters has one pool and one hot tub and while it does have the mountains as a backdrop, which was nice to look at, the facilities leave much to be desired. The changing rooms, pool deck, and pool itself are very outdated and in dire need of some love and care. We soaked in the pool for about an hour but honestly didn't feel great while doing so (thankfully the kids don't notice these things so it was all good from their point of view). So, looking back, we definitely recommend either splurging at The Springs Resort and maybe making a day of it to get your money's worth or simply going the nature way and enjoy the free hot spring along the side of the river (on the opposite side of The Springs Resort).
By the time Friday came we were all anxious to ski. We got there around 9a to get a good parking spot and have enough time to get the kids set up with their Wolf Pups ski program. The mountain had been getting snow every day we were there - I guess their claim is true! - so the ski conditions were great. This turned out to be a great mountain for our first family ski trip. Ski lift tickets are not crazy expensive as you see in popular ski resorts like Vail, but only $85 a day. Ski school rates were also very fairly priced so we took advantage of that and enrolled our kids to learn as much as possible during our stay. We skied 5 days in total with a break after day three. We were amazed how fast the kids learned. By the end of day one, they were getting on the lift that leads to the beginner greens on their own and by day two, we were able to take them on one of the other lifts to ski other greens together after they were done with their lessons for the day.
We had a few sunny ski days and some others where visibility was very low due to snow and wind. The ski area has plenty of trails for all skill levels. I usually stick to greens and blues and didn't even get to ski all of them during our 5 ski days. Paul is a really good skier and he explored further, going all the way to Alberta Peak and exploring the black diamonds and double diamonds along the ridge. The scenery he captured from those areas of the snow covered trees looked straight out of a movie. But even in the blues and greens, the landscapes were breathtaking. The only possible complaint is that the runs sometimes felt a little short, but there was no shortage of options to explore on this vast mountain. Visit wolfcreekski.com to see a trail map of the mountain.
We loved our Colorado stay so much that we ended up staying there for two and a half weeks. The crowds thinned out towards the last few days of our stay and the kids ended up having one on one lessons with their ski instructors for group lesson prices. By the end of our trip our kids were skiing blues and blacks! They fell in love with the sport and with Colorado, and we can't blame them. ;)
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