Founded 1880
A town shaped by the railroad and the river
Durango was founded in 1880 by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad as a smelting hub for the silver mines of the San Juan Mountains. Sitting at 6,512 feet along the Animas River, the town quickly grew into the cultural and commercial heart of southwestern Colorado. Its downtown, now a National Historic District, still wears its Victorian-era architecture with pride — iron-front buildings, arched windows, and awning-covered sidewalks line Main Avenue much as they did over a century ago.
Today Durango balances that heritage with a thriving outdoor culture. Craft breweries and farm-to-table restaurants fill the historic storefronts. The Animas River runs through the center of town, offering Class II through IV rafting from spring snowmelt through late summer. Over 1,000 miles of singletrack radiate into the surrounding mountains, making the area one of the top mountain-biking destinations in the West.
Main Avenue, downtown Durango · Photo: Durango Web Creations / CC BY-SA 3.0
National Historic Landmark
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Built in 1882 to haul silver and gold ore from the mines above Silverton, the narrow-gauge railroad has run continuously for over 140 years. The coal-fired steam locomotives follow the Animas River through a wilderness canyon that is inaccessible by road, climbing from 6,512 feet at the Durango depot to 9,318 feet in Silverton — a 45-mile journey each way.
Designated a National Historic Landmark, the railroad is one of the most photographed trains in North America. The route passes through the San Juan National Forest and the Weminuche Wilderness, offering views of sheer granite walls, cascading waterfalls, and alpine meadows. Round-trip excursions run daily from May through October, with holiday and winter service on shorter routes.
Built
1882
Distance
45 miles one way
Elevation gain
2,806 ft
Gauge
3 ft narrow gauge
Designation
National Historic Landmark
UNESCO World Heritage Site · 45 min from Durango
Mesa Verde National Park
Just 35 miles west of Durango, Mesa Verde National Park preserves nearly 5,000 archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Puebloan people between the sixth and thirteenth centuries. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most significant archaeological preserves in the United States.
Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in North America, contains 150 rooms and 23 kivas. Ranger-led tours take visitors onto the alcove ledges and into the structures themselves. The drive from Durango takes roughly 45 minutes, making it an easy day trip from town or from the Purgatory area.
Distance from house
~1 hr 15 min
Established
1906
Cliff dwellings
600+
Best season
May – October
Scenic Drives & Outdoor Recreation
Adventures in every direction
San Juan Skyway
This 230-mile scenic loop connects Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Telluride, and Cortez. The stretch between Silverton and Ouray — the Million Dollar Highway — is one of the most dramatic mountain roads in the country, carved into sheer cliff faces above 10,000 feet.
River Rafting
The Animas River runs right through downtown Durango, offering Class II float trips for families and Class III–IV whitewater for experienced paddlers. Several outfitters operate guided half-day and full-day trips from May through September.
Mountain Biking
With over 1,000 miles of singletrack in the surrounding mountains, Durango has hosted multiple national and world mountain-biking championships. Trails range from smooth riverside paths to technical alpine descents with thousands of feet of elevation change.
Purgatory Resort
Just 25 miles north of downtown, Purgatory offers over 1,500 skiable acres in winter and an alpine coaster, mountain biking park, and summer activities the rest of the year. The drive from Durango takes about 30 minutes along US Highway 550.
