Things to do in Durango
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Durango
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months overall: June for water, green and long days, late September for fall colour without summer crowds.
Everything open but busiest and priciest, with monsoon pattern: perfect mornings, afternoon thunderstorms.
Ski season at Purgatory, Cascade Canyon winter train and Chapman Hill, with Snowdown in late January to early February.
March can still ski well, May turns: train resumes, rafting builds, Mesa Verde tours reopen, Iron Horse at Memorial Day.
Worst month for a first visit: quietest and muddiest, reduced hours and closures, though prices are lowest.
Aspens turn to early October, Mesa Verde open into late October. From late October tours and Bar D close.
Shoulder season: a fine quiet town break but a diminished first visit, with winter patterns starting.
What's on
- Snowdown late January / early February
A multi day winter carnival, Durango's biggest locals' party. Book rooms early.
- Durango Film Festival late February / early March
Film festival following Snowdown in late winter.
- Durango Bluegrass Meltdown April
Bluegrass festival warming the town up in spring.
- Durango Wine Experience late April
Two days of tastings and wine dinners along Main, a Community Foundation fundraiser.
- Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Memorial Day weekend
Race the train road event plus gravel and mountain bike races. Hotel prices spike.
- Animas River Days June
River surfing, kayaking, boatercross and the costumed river parade.
- Durango PlayFest late June
Summer theatre play festival.
- True Western Roundup Wednesday nights through summer
Rodeo on Wednesday nights through summer.
- San Juan Brewfest late August
The beer calendar's peak, at Buckley Park.
- Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering early October
Cowboy poetry gathering closing the season in character.
Best things to do in Durango
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
A full day up the Animas gorge to Silverton on a heritage steam railroad, with scenery no road reaches.
Mesa Verde National Park
Cliff Palace and Balcony House are the largest, best preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings in North America.
Historic Downtown and Main Avenue
More than 80 historic buildings line a working Main Avenue of restaurants, breweries, galleries and shops.
Durango Hot Springs Resort & Spa
More than 30 mineral pools at varied temperatures, a reliable two hour soak after a train, ski or bike day.
Animas River Trail
A paved seven mile river trail for walking, cycling and fishing, with paddlers to watch at the Whitewater Park.
Bar D Chuckwagon
A cowboy supper followed by Western music and comedy from the Bar D Wranglers, running since the late 1960s.
Durango Farmers Market
Saturday produce, baked goods, honey and prepared food, and the best cross section of local residents in town.
Powerhouse Science Center
A hands on science centre in the old river power plant, a good two hour reset for children under 12.
Where to stay in Durango
Historic Downtown
first trip, all-round base
Walk to dinner, the breweries, the market and the depot, and leave the car parked.
Animas Valley, north of town
golfers, hot springs fans, families with cars
River, red cliffs, Dalton Ranch golf and quiet nights, 5 to 15 minutes drive from downtown.
Purgatory Resort base
ski blocks and summer bike park trips
Ski in, ski out condos that make sense only if Purgatory is the main event.
South Durango / Camino del Rio and US-160 strips
budget road-trip nights and early departures
The cheapest beds with free parking and pools, but zero Old West atmosphere and car dependent.
Rural west / southwest toward Mesa Verde
couples and romantic occasions
Gardens, quiet and a destination inn about 15 miles out, happy to drive for dinner and the train.
Think twice about
- Animas River corridor parks, Schneider Park and Santa Rita Park area
Visible unsheltered homelessness and encampments are concentrated here. Do not pick lodging for a river park frontage, and do not walk the unlit trail alone very late.
- South Camino del Rio / US-160 motel strip as a special-trip base
Car dependence, strip mall bleakness and more transient motel stock. Fine for a night, but it does not feel like Durango.
- Silverton as a winter base
Many businesses close in winter, the town can feel near empty, and the pass road is hazardous in storms. Visit Silverton, base in Durango or Ouray.
Best restaurants in Durango
636 Main
New American steak and seafood with a serious wine program, the default book first special dinner in town.
Eolus Bar & Dining
Mountain New American plus sushi and Durango's best rooftop, the sunset reservation everyone wants.
Seasons of Durango
Open wood fire kitchen since 1994, rotisserie, grilled meats and a Chef's Table, elegant without being stiff.
Primus
One of the tasting leaning top end names long included in Durango fine dining, so verify its current format first.
Ore House
The other tasting leaning top end name in Durango, included with a warning to check current status before booking.
Mahogany Grille
The Strater's dining room, steaks and game in Victorian surroundings, the hotel experience at dinner prices.
Chimayo Stone Fired Kitchen
Southwestern Mediterranean cooking from twin stone hearths, the best one restaurant answer for a mixed group.
East by Southwest
Durango's fuller Asian and sushi dinner, surviving on repeat local trade in a landlocked town.
Best coffee in Durango
Durango Coffee Company
A local roaster residents name first, so there is no need for chain coffee in Durango.
Durango Joes
Local roaster loved for its spicy dirty chai and breakfast burritos.
Outdoor things to do in Durango
Animas River
Class II to III family whitewater through town, lively and cold without being terrifying in season.
Duranglers
Guided fly fishing on Gold Medal Animas water, with lessons, gear, flies and local knowledge included.
Lake Nighthorse
Calm water paddleboarding, kayaking, swimming and picnicking, the cheapest full outdoor day near town.
4Corners Riversports
Rents paddle and kayak gear and teaches on the town Animas, with the Whitewater Park for competent paddlers.
Horse Gulch
The go to mountain bike network minutes east of downtown, mellow to intermediate singletrack that climbs harder.
Animas Mountain
A proper half day hiking loop at the north end of town, subject to seasonal wildlife closures.
Iron Horse Bicycle Classic
Riding about 47 to 50 miles to Silverton over two passes above 10,000 feet, racing the train.
Purgatory Resort
About 1,500 skiable acres and 100 trails, family friendly and fairly priced by Colorado resort standards.
Best hotels in Durango
Strater Hotel
Built in 1887, 88 rooms of Victorian antiques, home to the Diamond Belle Saloon and Mahogany Grille.
General Palmer Hotel
An 1898 landmark by the depot with included breakfast, free parking and balconies over Main Avenue.
The Rochester Hotel
A renovated 1892 hotel a block off Main, praised for generous included breakfast and a garden courtyard.
Leland House Suites of Durango
Apartment style suites with kitchenettes a block from Main, breakfast at the Rochester and free parking.
Gable House Bed and Breakfast Inn
A classic bed and breakfast a few blocks from Main, favoured for kind hosts and homemade breakfast.
Blue Lake Ranch
A secluded country inn of cabins, casitas and suites around gardens and a private lake, with Southwest breakfast.
Purgatory Lodge
The resort's core ski in lodging, condos with kitchens that suit families and groups.
Adventure Inn Durango
Clean, family reviewed, no frills motel stock, part of Durango's honest budget tier.
Is Durango expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $135 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $275 a person |
| Splurge | $475 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: weeks ahead
- Mesa Verde National Park: weeks ahead
- Iron Horse Bicycle Classic: months ahead
- 636 Main: weeks ahead
- Mesa Verde ranger tours release on Recreation.gov typically 14 days ahead and sell out in season. Set a reminder for release morning.
- Book the Durango and Silverton train weeks ahead for summer, fall colour and holiday trains.
- Reserve 636 Main, Eolus rooftop, Seasons and Mahogany Grille on summer and weekend nights.
- Book rafting, jeep tours, guided fishing, Bar D, hot springs slots and Purgatory lodging days ahead in peak season.
- Iron Horse registration opens in December for May and popular categories fill.
Is Durango safe?
- Altitude is the main risk: town is about 6,512 feet, passes top 11,000. Hydrate, halve alcohol on day one, and use serious sun protection.
- River snowmelt is fast and cold. Obey rafting rules, wear the life jacket, and never enter closed sections.
- Monsoon afternoons in July and August build lightning fast above treeline. Descend by noon.
- Property crime is the realistic risk: trailhead and hotel lot break ins. Lock cars and leave nothing visible.
- Deer and elk at dawn and dusk on US-550 and US-160, and black ice on shaded passes.
Durango travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Driving the Million Dollar Highway for the first time in snow, ice or darkness.
- Taking the full nine hour Silverton train with restless toddlers in standard coach.
- Paying for a Mesa Verde guided tour without checking it actually secures your Cliff Palace ticket and entry.
- Durango Hot Springs at peak Saturday midday for a full price two hour slot. Go at sunset on a weekday instead.
- Depot adjacent souvenir pricing and snacks at train return hour. Walk two blocks up Main.
Getting around Durango: public transport and more
- Downtown, the depot and the river trail are walkable. Mesa Verde, Purgatory, hot springs, golf and most trailheads require a car.
- Durango-La Plata County Airport is 15 to 20 minutes southeast, usually connecting via Denver, Phoenix or Dallas-Fort Worth.
- The Durango Transit trolley runs the Main Avenue spine roughly every 20 to 30 minutes in daytime. Rideshare thins late at night and in storms.
- Downtown meters and lots fill on summer Saturdays and train return afternoons. Included hotel parking is a real perk.
Who Durango suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Durango your trip
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