Last summer, we shared 100 unique ways to spend the season in Durango. From farmers markets and music festivals to secret bars and rugged alpine hikes, our visitors enjoyed a jam-packed summer of wild mountain adventure.
One year later, we’re adding 100 more bullets to your Colorado bucket list. This time, it’s about more than just the activities. It’s about special moments shared with special people, wild adventures under the southwestern sun, and making more time for more memories. Take on the Summer 200 Challenge and discover the Real Colorado in the southwestern oasis of Durango.
Experience the Local Event Scene
- Kick off the summer at the Taste of Durango festival
- Celebrate Father’s Day at the annual Men Who Grill Cook off
- Enjoy a Weekend of Wine Tasting at the Durango Wine Experience
- Become a Brewfest VIP and gain access to the private Brewers Party
- Celebrate the Kentucky Derby, Colorado style, at the Durango Derby
- Dine with locals at a James Ranch Field Dinner
- Celebrate the 4th of July with a gourmet BBQ at Rotary Park
- Strum along at the Summer Ukefest
- Meet the author and get your book signed at the Release Party of Recursion at El Moro
- Host your own summer party with the help of Toast Mobile Lounge
Explore Hot, New, and Trendy Places around Town
- Find fine dining with a lake view at Fur Trappers Steakhouse on Vallecito Reservoir
- Check out Bird's the new fast-casual chicken-focused restaurant on north end of town Main
- Kick back at the new local hangout, the Nugget Bar
- Recharge with a cup of joe from the newly opened Hermosa Coffee Roasters
- Sip the new pink and citrusy Boots & Pants Ale from a local brewery to support local women in the beer industry
- Plunge Down the Rabbit Hole at Durango’s newest restaurant, bar and gameroom
- Sample the Summer Seasonals at Carver Brewing Co.
- Dine on new local dishes with a view at Dalton Ranch’s Swing Restaurant
- Discover what new and exotic dishes Chef Jimmy will bring to the Pop Sushi menu
- Indulge in always-local ingredients at the aptly-named Seasons Grill
Complete the Backpacking Bucket List
- Spend the night in a retired fire lookout tower
- Thru-hike the entire Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango
- Watch the Perseid Meteor Shower as you backpack the La Plata Mountains
- Ride the historic train into the Weminuche Wilderness for an unforgettably remote backpacking experience
- Hike to the most pristine chain of alpine lakes in Colorado
- Dip your fly in the water at Los Pinos River
- Step back in western mining history when you find the Graysill Mine
- Hike the Sneffels Traverse from Telluride to Ouray
- Follow an old mining road to the rugged Tomahawk Basin
- Discover the primitive Rainbow Hot Springs (if you can)
Photo: Kyle Ledeboer
Find Live Music and Shows in the Mountains
- Join the One Vibration Music Festival on May 17th and 18th
- Jam out every Thursday for live music at Ska Brewing’s outdoor stage
- Watch Mamma Mia! live at the Durango Arts Center this May
- Enjoy Sunday brunch with a song at 11th Street Station’s live music series
- Dance the day away at the Stillwater Music Party in Buckley Park, May 18th
- Make your own music at 8th Avenue Tavern’s karaoke night
- Fall in love with the speakeasy vibe at Derailed Pour House’s live music events
- Experience the iAM Music Fest and Concert Series
- Enjoy Durango's classical music festival, Music in the Mountains
- Find that Honky Tonk vibe at the Billy Goat Saloon
Photo: Sky Capture Studios
Try something you’ve never done before
- Compete in Purgatory’s inaugural Mountain Archery Festival
- Raft the newly revamped whitewater park in town
- Charter a helicopter and take to the skies above Durango
- Scuba dive Lake Navajo and hunt for mysterious boat wrecks
- Attend Purgatory’s chainsaw carving competition, Carve Wars
- Stand at the intersection of four US states at Four Corners National Monument
- Discover a natural water cave by horseback
- Depart from a historic train and jump into an abandoned mine tour
- Up the ante on a whitewater inflatable kayak adventure
- Bring a picnic to the bridge where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was filmed
Dive into Southwestern Culture and History
- Exploring the Tracks Across Borders Scenic & Historic Byway, Colorado’s newest byway is open to travelers, and like all great things in life, the journey starts from Durango.
- Explore the sacred Chimney Rock National Monument
- Experience the American Indian Cultural Arts Festival on July 13th
- Basecamp at one of Durango's historic hotels with your entire family--or check out all the lodging options from campgrounds to cabins to B&Bs
- Cut a rug at the 5th annual Cowboy Poetry Barn Dance
- Take a 7-day guided tour on the Trail of the Ancients
- Celebrate the Summer Solstice with a Sunrise tour of Aztec Ruins National Monument
- Enjoy luxurious Friday Nights at the Fox Fire Farms Winery and Vineyard
- Take a historic walking tour of Main Avenue
- Pay respect to the pioneers at Durango’s historic cemeteries
Test your Physical Limits
- Race or Spectate the Hardrock 100 Endurance Race on July 19th
- Cycle 225 miles and climb 16,500 feet on the Death Ride Challenge, June 9th
- Ski the 14ers of Chicago Basin before the snow melts
- Find the best trails on a Durango Mountain Bike Tour
- Take a seven-day mountain bike ride from Durango to Moab
- Hit the downhill at Purgatory’s Trail Party Enduro Race
- Train locally for the Ska Durango Double
- Race the Iron Horse Quarter Horse to Purgatory
- Tackle the urban cross-country mountain bike race that is the Morehart Murphy
- Summit three 14,000’ peaks in one day
Spend Every Night Outdoors
- Rally your friends, turn off your phones, and roast s’mores for an overnight trip to the Molas Lake Campground
- Camp out at the Lightner Creek Campground for a night out of town
- Spend a day of hiking, fly fishing, and 4WD exploring from the South Mineral Campground
- Sleep near ancient ruins at the Morefield Campground outside Mesa Verde National Park
- Fall asleep to the babbling river and wake up to stunning views at the Anvil Campground
- Enjoy prime mountain biking access when you stay at Sig Creek Campground
- Pick strawberries, find wild beavers, and watch the sunset at Spud Lake
- Camp out at Junction Creek and wake up for early morning fly fishing
- Gain unrivaled lake access and a boat ramp at Miller Creek Campground
Find Unique Animal Experiences
- Explore the mountains with llamas at your side
- Visit the southwest’s wild wolf refuge
- Plan for a September Elk Hunt with Peak to Creek Outfitters
- Watch the downtown deer graze by the Animas River
- Hit the trails with a pack of professional sled dogs
- Visit the farm and pet the goats on a tour of James Ranch
- Find the grazing elk in the meadows of Hermosa Valley
- Experience 4 days of horseback photography in the Weminuche Wilderness on Christopher Marona’s Photography Workshop
- Bring your four-legged friend to shop downtown
- Look for the moose that graze in the early hours near the Rico Silverton Trail
Photo: Kim Shivers at James Ranch
Take on Durango’s Best Day Hikes
- Summit Perins Peak for a birds eye view of town
- Climb the switchbacks from Junction Creek to Gudy’s Rest for a wild, remote view
- Find unrivaled views from the Purgatory Cliffs on the Elbert Creek Trail
- Hike to Park Point in Mesa Verde National Park for a 360-view of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado
- Skip the Engineer crowds and wander the drainage to Jura Knob
- Drop a fishing line at the end of the 6 mile trail to alpine Crater Lake
- Straddle the Continental Divide at the Lobo Overlook
- Take on the steep Smelter Mountain Trail, where you’ll gain over 1,000’ in less than a mile
- Laze around one of Colorado’s best beaches at Vallecito Reservoir and wander the trails
- Find the lesser known access point to Adrenaline Falls for an easy waterfall hike
