Durango offers trails for a range of non-motorized activities, as well as museums, exhibits and railroad history. To plan your trip, you can first consider whether river trails and nature trails, historic buildings and cultural attractions, or the trip to Silverton are your priorities. This gives your search for hotels in Durango a concrete starting point: Which experiences would you like to include in your stay?
River Trails and Nature Trails
The paved, multi-use Animas River Trail runs nearly 7 miles through the Animas River Greenway. It connects parks, open spaces and nature trails, as well as the recreation center, public library, downtown Durango, residential neighborhoods and schools. The trail is therefore useful not only for exercise, but also for getting to a variety of destinations around the city.
In downtown Durango, you can walk along the Animas River. Downtown is also a historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places. If you’d like to combine a walk with a glimpse into the history of the city, you’ll find two different points of interest here without needing to plan a longer trail route.
Durango’s nature trails are open to non-motorized, multi-use activities. Options include mountain biking, hiking, trail running, dog walking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. This range of activities can help you prioritize what you’d like to do when choosing a trail, rather than limiting nature trails to a single use.
The Fort Lewis Trail System can be accessed via Chapman Hill, the Skysteps or trailheads around the Fort Lewis College campus. These access points provide practical guidance if you’d like to include this trail system in your Durango plans.
Chapman Hill Ski Area is a seven-acre downhill ski area with two lifts and 25 ski runs. Because information about facilities and runs can change, check the latest details before your visit.
Museums and Railroad History
The Animas Museum is housed in the former Animas City School, a three-story sandstone building dating from 1904–1905. Since April 23, 2019, the building has been listed in both the National Register of Historic Places and the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. The building’s age, material and two listings offer a concrete way to explore Durango’s past through the history of a school.
The D&SNG Museum shares the history of railroading, transportation and mining. It offers tours by appointment during business hours. If you plan to take a tour, arrange it in advance; tours are not described as available for walk-ins without an appointment.
The Durango Fish Hatchery also combines a historic site with a museum: it is Colorado’s oldest state fish hatchery, and a building constructed on the site in 1927 now houses the Wildlife Museum. The local cultural offerings therefore include railroad and mining history, as well as a site connected to fish hatching and the Wildlife Museum.
Admission to the exhibit gallery at the Center of Southwest Studies is free; a donation of $5 is recommended. Since admission policies can change, check the latest information before your visit.
The Durango Arts Center hosts an average of 25 exhibitions per year in the Barbara Conrad, Art Library and Entrada/Arriba galleries. The exhibition program also includes special events, workshops, demonstrations, lectures and film screenings. These different formats offer several ways to engage with the Center’s arts and cultural offerings; check specific dates separately when planning your trip.
The Powerhouse is housed in Durango’s nationally historic, coal-fired, steam-powered AC power plant. The site adds another perspective on the city’s technological history to its museums and galleries.
Planning Around the Seasons
Two different details are useful when planning by season: the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad runs year-round; from early May through October, it carries passengers to Silverton and back. Trail running, mountain biking and birdwatching in the Fort Lewis Trail System are described as summer activities. If you plan to take the train, check the schedule in advance; keep the summer seasonality of the listed trail activities in mind as a separate planning consideration.
Explore other destinations: Hesperus, Ignacio, Bayfield.
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