Location: Durango
Top Things to do in Durango
The 10 Best Nature & Parks 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. The Snowbike Experience
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 90 reviews
Reviewed By txyz - Cedar Park, United States
Always intrigued by these unique contraptions so we gave it a try on our ski trip to Purgatory. What fun! Super easy to learn if you are already a skier as the methods used are very similar. We all went from "never evers" to snowbike tricksters in one day thanks to our excellent instructor Tommy. Snowbikes will never replace my skis but I will plan a day on future trips to tear around on these bikes as they are a great change of pace for the whole family.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Purgatory Snowcat Adventures
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
With access to over 35,000 acres of expansive terrain in the San Juan backcountry, Purgatory Snowcat Adventures is Colorado's largest backcountry skiing & snowboarding operation. Your day of snowcat skiing or snowboarding includes avalanche gear, powder skis and lunch. Highly trained guides choose runs ranging from 500-1,500 feet on untracked powder through trees, glades and open bowls.
7. Palmer Quarter Horses
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By jeffshaffer0
Our family of six had a wonderful time on the two hour morning ride. Allison led us up and down their private bridle trails, through forests, across streams, with majestic mountains coming into view every once in awhile. The horses and our guide were all a pleasure with which to share a morning ride. We look forward to returning!
8. 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.
9. Purgatory Resort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 755 reviews
Purgatory Resort is a family-friendly, four-season resort offering a variety of activities for all ages. In the winter, enjoy alpine skiing and snowboarding, snow shoeing, horse-drawn sleigh rides, Nordic skiing, snowmobiling and more. Summer and fall offers hiking, mountain biking, Alpine Slide rides, zipline, scenic chairlift, disc golf, bungee trampolines, climbing walls, miniature golf and more.
Reviewed By undergroundu - Alba, United States
The sign was right. Kids will love it. Go to their website and buy tickets. They have different packages. Mountain rollercoaster is so cool. My kids loved the alpine slide. They have kayaking and paddleboarding too.
10. Rim Trail/ Campus Loop
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 39 reviews
Reviewed By cicimed
This is a great place to sightsee deer, the sunsets and stargazing. The view at night of the town is beautiful and looking at the opposite side (behind you) the stars shine bright and that part of town is dark enough to enjoy them. A must go location.
