Durango is located in the southwestern corner of Colorado. Durango is an old mining town with roots dating back to 1880. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has a main depot in Durango, and the train has been running continuously since 1882. Durango offers easy access to the great outdoors. Summers are popular for hiking, biking, and fishing. Winters are built around the skiing and apres ski visits to the hot springs resorts.
Purgatory is a 26-mile drive from Durango. This is one of Colorado’s best kept secrets for ski areas. It is a family-friendly resort that is also more budget-friendly than many of the other Colorado ski areas.
Durango has an “old west” feel to it, and the downtown area is a Nationally Registered Historic District. Durango has several museums that celebrate the western history. Be sure to visit Animas Museum to explore the local history of Durango.
Durango hosts a bevy of annual festivals. Some of the more popular include the Durango Ragtime & Early Jazz Festival and the Snowdown Festival.
Main Avenue runs through downtown Durango. It is lined with old hotels, boutiques and restaurants. We recommend visiting the Strater Hotel, which was built in 1887.
Durango winters are cool, but not as frigid as some other Colorado mountain towns. Daily high temps are typically in the mid-40s.
Early spring is a popular time for visitors as long as Purgatory is still open. The resort typically closes in mid-April. At that time, the tourism largely shuts down until the summer season.
Summers are warm and dry. Daily high temps are in the upper 80s. Summers are a popular season for tourists to explore the great outdoors near the town.
September and early October is an ideal time to view the changing of the seasons. By November, daily high temps drop to the low 50s, which is too warm for skiing but to cool for many other outdoor options.