Location: Durango
Top Things to do in Durango
The 10 Best Free Things to do in Durango, Colorado (CO)
Once a frontier mining town, Durango draws thousands of tourists year-round for the myriad outdoor recreational activities and scenic beauty. Mountain bikers, rafters, kayakers, horseback riders, rock climbers, hikers, campers, hunters and fishermen are drawn to the two-million acre San Juan National Forest and to the San Juan mountains, the largest range in the Rockies. But the city's biggest tourist draw is a nine-hour historic train ride in a vintage steam locomotive. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which hauled precious metals in the 1880s, now takes tourists for a 47-mile, open-air journey through mountains and forests and past abandoned mines to historic Silverton and back. Children and train buffs will relish the chance to climb into a locomotive and pore over railroad memorabilia at the railroad's museum. Skiers flock to the Durango Mountain Resort in winter, which also offers hiking, fishing, rafting and horseback riding in warmer months. Slow down your pace with a stroll past splendidly restored Victorian buildings in historic Downtown Durango and wind up a very active weekend in a local brewpub or saloon.
Restaurants in Durango
1. San Juan National Forest
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 566 reviews
Wilderness area consisting of forested mountains, 14,000-foot peaks, scenic roads, geological formations, prehistoric communities and a narrow-gauge railroad.
Reviewed By 321MarkA - Larkspur, United States
The San Juan National Forest, alone or when combined with the Rio Grand National Forest (to the northeast) and the Uncompahgre (to the northwest), cover a lot of the San Juan Mountain range: very high, very rugged, very old mountains. If you like hiking (Ice Lake, Island Lake, Columbine, Piedra Falls, and more), camping (formal and dispersed), jeeping/ATVing (Alpine Loop, Black Bear, Red Mountain Pass, Ophir Pass, Engineer Pass, Corkscrew Gulch plus many many more) , skiing (Purgatory/Durango Mountain, Telluride, Wolf Creek) , hot springs (Pagosa Springs, Ouray, Ridgeway), native American history (Mesa Verde National Park, canyon of the Ancients) , steam trains (Durango Silverton RR), ghost towns (mining ruins, Animas Forks, Read Mountain mining district, Ironton, Eureka, Mineral Point and many many more), endless vistas and views, lively towns (especially Durango and Pagosa Springs), Old and active mining towns (Silverton and Creed), tubing/ float trips (Durango) and much much more. You can spend weeks in this area and only see a small portion of it. Highly highly recommended vacation spot.
2. The Colorado Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 79 reviews
Spanning some 500 miles from Denver to Durango, this path crosses many different elevations and environments, including eight mountain ranges, seven national forests, six wilderness areas and five river systems, making it one of the most fascinating and scenic trails in the state.
Reviewed By debbien884 - Nashville, United States
We went out 25th street and hiked for an hour out and back on the Colorado Trail. Picked up some people that had been out in tents for 39 nights.
3. St. Columba Catholic Church
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 28 reviews
Reviewed By amk95 - Fort Worth, United States
We went to Mass at St. Columba while visting Durango. The homily was great and we are glad that we went to Mass here. Many visitors did the same thing and we were all welcomed!
4. Earthen Vessel Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 40 reviews
A gallery representing American makers, specializing in handcrafted pottery, jewelry, glass, wood and art to wear. Celebrating all things handmade...
Reviewed By jackmV4428WP
Nicest people you will ever deal with.The selection of merchandise is unequaled in Durango. Wonderful shopping expereince.
5. Durango Craft Spirits
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 34 reviews
Enjoy a tour of our grain to glass distillery located on Main Avenue in downtown Durango! Take a step back into Durango history in our Tasting Room and enjoy stories of Durango's past while enjoying a cocktail featuring our Soiled Doves Vodka. Even those that don't consider themselves vodka drinkers are enjoying our distinct spirit.
Reviewed By jdkrup77 - Paris, United States
After tasting a couple of spirits, my wife chose a silver mountain mule with their gin and I had the Jack Dempsey with vodka. Their spirits are very bold and flavorful. Their sitting area outside was quiet and relaxing.
6. Beads and Beyond
7. Cascade Creek Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By AN6pack - Waco, United States
We read what we could find about this hike. Having rented a van, we parked in a lot well before the rough road started and we quickly saw why 4x4 is needed as we traversed this on foot! After passing through the red gate, we veered on the path to the left and hiked almost 4 miles to a huge waterfall with a small deep pool below where my kids enjoyed jumping in to the frigid waters below. It was so beautiful, blue and clear! We crossed over right above the waterfall and continued on the path on the other side. A mile or so later, we came to another waterfall with a large area to relax and hang out on rocks, but without a pool. We continued on this path back to the fork where we originally went left (this was the right path) and back to the parking area. This was a total of about 8 miles. I would rate it a moderate hike with some areas being quite easy. We crossed through water on 6-7 occasions, one being across the creek where the water was almost knee deep! Overall, it was a great experience with beautiful rewards throughout! Highly recommend.
8. Santa Rita Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By ccoynetravel - Houston, United States
This park is great for a family outing. It is right along the river, and the play ground is great. There are many trees for shade and a great place for a picnic.
9. Historic Downtown Durango
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,811 reviews
Historic Downtown Durango is the heart of the community. Filled with over 200 unique shops, stores and restaurants, Downtown Durango has something for everyone. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is located in Downtown, and has daily excursions plus a FREE museum. The Strater Hotel is also in Downtown and has been in operation since the 1800's. We have wonderful restaurants, from fast food to fine dining and everything in between. Plus there are amazing shops with unique items, including nearly a dozen world class art galleries. To learn more about Historic Downtown Durango, visit our website, and use the FREE wifi Downtown at Durango WiFi. Thanks for visiting!
Reviewed By LaurieM271 - North Port, United States
What a great town, we spent two nights here and had a blast, Lots of things going on lots of shops absolutely love this town and will be back again.
10. Animas Mountain Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 49 reviews
Located in the San Juan National Forest, this eight-mile trail leads to the top of a mesa where you can get a fabulous view of the area. Separate trails for hikers/horseback riders and mountain bikers are marked with different colors.
Reviewed By hikerfromhell
This hike is awesome. To do the loop, it took 2 hours, 3 minutes for 5.7 miles (I used an app to track). If you go up the back of the loop first, it is very slow uphill climb for the first mile and I was breathing heavy. Some people go counterclockwise which seems like an easier climb. Once you get past that initial climb, things start to level out a bit and it gets easier. The views are great! Wear sturdy hiking shoes as the trails are very rocky. Mornings are a better bet to avoid the rain.
