Southwest Colorado is a treasure-trove of vacation discoveries. Whether you’re after natural geographic wonders, ancient cave dwellings, outdoor adventures or a thriving contemporary art and music scene, Durango provides the perfect basecamp for fun in the Four Corners. With outdoor activities, cultural offerings and culinary creations as unique and enticing as the surrounding areas, the quintessential mountain town is a vacation in itself. For the perfect place to recharge after a day exploring everything the region has to offer, rest your head and stretch your legs in Durango, Colorado.
Stay-Cation
The ultimate destination for outdoor adventure, culinary creativity and cultural offerings, Durango is a basecamp worthy of the exciting surrounding area. For family-friendly fun, walk the Animas River Trail, a paved, multi-use path that winds alongside one of the town’s most treasured resources, the Animas River, and leads you into the historic downtown. Browse galleries that combine the area’s ancient influences with modern flair, or unwind with boutique shopping or a visit to a pampering spa or natural hot spring. Savor classic cuisine with a contemporary twist at local restaurants, like the Harvest Grill at James Ranch, a farm-to-table establishment that raises and grows its ingredients in-house. Pause for a pint at one of six craft breweries, and tap your toes to the live music offered at restaurants around town. Purgatory Resort guarantees fun for the whole family with activities ranging from the adrenaline-pumping Alpine Slide to a peaceful and relaxing chairlift rides that highlights the San Juan Mountains’ natural splendor. For distinctively Durango activities, enjoy the on-the-range offerings of the Bar D Chuckwagon’s dinner and a show, or travel the tracks back in time at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Museum.
Where to Stay
Unpack and unwind at one of the diverse and singular lodgings in Durango. Close your eyes close to nature at a local campground or RV park. Historic hotels, like the Strater Hotel, General Palmer or the Rochester Hotel, feature authentic Victorian flair and guaranteed sweet dreams. Keep your zzz’s cozy at one of the town’s charming bed and breakfasts or personality filled cabins. Bunk lakeside at one of Colorado’s largest high-mountain lakes at Vallecito Lake. Saddle up and settle in at a ranch or lodge that makes the most of Durango’s natural beauty and cowboy tradition.
Surrounding Towns
All aboard the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a uniquely Durango experience that offers stunning views and family fun as you ride the rails to Silverton, a mining town featuring the authentically Victorian, recently renovated Grand Imperial Hotel. Hit the road and buckle up for beautiful mountain views and plenty of open road along the 242-mile San Juan Skyway, a heavenly highway that winds through historic towns like Silverton, Ouray, Ridgeway, Telluride, Dolores, Cortez and Mancos. Brave the “boos” of ghost towns like La Plata City, Parrot City and Animas Forks, where adventuring and off-roading opportunities are as thrilling as the histories of the mining towns themselves. After a restful night at one of Durango’s charming bed and breakfasts, hike, bike or ride through the magnificent mountains and world-class wilderness surrounding the town, like the San Juan National Forest or Weminuche Wilderness.
Archeological Offerings
Shaped by a rich and profound heritage, Southwest Colorado boasts some of the nation’s best-preserved and most interesting archeological offerings, from ancient dwellings to awe-inspiring wilderness. After spending a night in Durango, continue your exploration of sensational sleeping spots at Mesa Verde National Park, featuring the dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo as well as hiking trails and a museum. Take advantage of Durango’s central location with an archeological adventure to Chimney Rock National Monument or Chaco Canyon. Experience the thrill of being in four states at once at the Four Corners Monument, the intersection of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Explore the ruins and arches in the charming and historic town of Aztec, New Mexico.
With a matchless combination of ancient tradition and contemporary flair, Southwest Colorado is a vacation destination that has something for everyone, and Durango is the perfect basecamp to explore all the area has to offer. Durango’s central location and easy access to activities from archeological wonders to historic mining towns make it the ideal starting point for all of your adventures. Whether you’re looking for somewhere to spend the night or spend the day, the mountain town is an escape in itself, featuring diverse and unique outdoor, cultural and culinary opportunities. Visit the Southwest, but vacation in Durango, Colorado.
About the Durango Area Tourism Office
The Durango Area Tourism Office is a not-for-profit organization operating with the mission to promote Durango and La Plata County’s multitude of tourism attractions, events and services. 1-800-525-8855, www.durango.org
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