Durango Hiking and Backpacking Travel Guide

Durango offers unparalleled opportunities for backpacking trips. Large swaths of rugged and scenic alpine lands make long trips ideal. Four-to-six overnight backpacking trips are most common here. From the San Juan Mountains to Mesa Verde National Park, the southwest region of Colorado is rich with natural beauty and historic sites. Durango is a natural springboard to them all.
You may meet hikers spending their summer on either the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) or the Colorado Trail, or both. The CDT is accessed on foot, but you may also take to the rails for a unique start. Arrange for the popular Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNGRR) to let you off at Elk Park, and hike the Elk Creek Trail nine miles to the CDT.
You can also take the D&SNGRR to Needleton for access to the spectacular Chicago Basin. Camp in the upper part of the basin for views of the surrounding 14,000-foot peaks. This is a very popular area with options, and one is to continue over Columbine Pass to the Vallecito area.
Durango is the southern terminus of the Colorado Trail. Travel on foot for a few days, or hike the total 480 miles from Durango to Denver. There are many access points that allow shorter treks or serve as excellent stop-overs or stock-up stops.
Within the San Juan National Forest are three ranger districts that oversee hundreds of hiking trails: The Dolores Ranger District, Pagosa Ranger District, and Columbine Ranger District. For camping regulations, check with the U.S. Forest Service or at trailhead signs.

Durango Travel Guide

Born as a railroad town more than a century ago, Durango remains a railroad town to this day, as thousands of visitors take a journey back in time aboard the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Durango was founded in 1880 when the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad line was extended to Silverton to haul precious metals from high-country mines. Within a year, 2,000 new residents had turned the town into a smelting and transportation center. Although more than $300 million worth of silver, gold, and other minerals rode along the route over the years, the unstable nature of the mining business gave the town many ups and downs. One of the "ups" occurred in 1915, when southern Colorado boy Jack Dempsey, then 20, won $50 in a 10-round boxing match. Dempsey went on to become the world heavyweight champion. Read More

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Durango Hiking and Backpacking Travel Guide