Durango Parks & Recreation

Durango Community Recreation Center

The Durango Community Recreation Center offers lap and leisure swimming pools, hot tub, water slide, outdoor splash pad, climbing wall, indoor track, racquetball courts, and a full gymnasium to accommodate basketball, pickleball, volleyball, indoor soccer and so much more. The facility provides state of the art fitness equipment including selectorized/pin loaded weight machines, cardiovascular equipment and free weights. Childcare is available during certain hours while you enjoy the facility.

Community Events

Durango is home to over 200 community events throughout the year. The Parks & Recreation Department helps facilitate and organize these events for the community. Community staples like the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, Snowdown, Taste of Durango, Animas River Days, San Juan Brewfest, among many more require diverse resources that the City of Durango Parks & Recreation Department provides. Durango has been able to transform itself into a city that is known for hosting events throughout the seasons - there’s never a boring weekend in town. The Parks & Recreation Department provides assistance to ensure these community events are able to flourish while being properly facilitated with equipment, permits, staff resources, and any other background necessities that are required to successfully host an event.

Youth and Adult Programs

Durango Parks & Recreation provides options for everyone to get involved and get active through adult and youth recreation programs. Kids can pick from programs like soccer, golf, lacrosse, flag football, skateboarding, BMX, and mountain biking. For adults, multiple programs are available such as soccer, grass and indoor volleyball, kickball, softball, and many more! Get registered now!

Parks, Trails, & Lake Nighthorse

If it is a playground, river trail, tennis court, open grass, basketball court, skate park or volleyball court that you desire, there is a park in our system that will suit your needs. The mountains and landscape surrounding the town of Durango is well-known throughout the country for the excellent hiking and mountain biking trails. The Durango Parks & Recreation Department maintains over 3,000 acres of open space including Animas Mountain, Twin Buttes, Horse Gulch and Overend Mountain Park. The Department also maintains numerous trails and parks including the Animals River Trail, which is a continuous 7.5 mile hard surface path from the trail terminus adjacent to Dallabetta park to Animas City Park.

Lake Nighthorse opens on Friday, April 2 for non-motorized recreation

Lake Nighthorse Recreation Area will open for the 2021 season on Friday, April 2. The lake will be open for non-motorized recreation 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, April 2 through May 9. Daily operations will begin May 14, and motorized recreation begins May 15. 

New amenities to the swim beach include an inflatable play structure (May through September), lifeguards and guard station, and a separate concrete paddle craft launch ramp. There also will be an expanded no wake zone connecting to west side. Spring pumping from the Animas River will bring the water level at the swim beach to meet the sand. View the recreation map of the lake here HERE.

To ensure the safety of the public and Lake Nighthorse staff during COVID-19, the City of Durango requests visitors maintain six feet social distance from others, wear a face covering, and bring a personal supply of hand sanitizer.

2021 Season and 5-Punch Passes may be purchased in person at the Recreation Center, or online  prior to Lake Nighthorse opening for the season. Full details are listed below in the Entrance Passes tab.

Durango Gymnastics and Chapman Hill

Durango Gymnastics offers classes for all ages and ability leves, from the wobbling toddlers to the advanced gymnasts! The instructors help children develop integral skills and prepare for competitive teams. The gymnastic facility also offers birthday packages and drop in preschool, teen and adult times. Durango Parks & Recreation offers great summer and winter sports at Chapman Hill.

During the winter, enjoy the in-town ski hill with snow making for great skiing and snowboarding all season. Enjoy the indoor ice rink for ice skating, figure skating and hockey. In the summer, Chapman turns into a roller rink with disco nights throughout the summer. Birthday party packages also available year round.

Photography courtesy of Matt Bradley Photography