Durango, located in the 4-Corners area of Southwest Colorado, is surrounded by 3 million acres of national forest with twelve peaks over 14,000 ft. The beautiful Animas River runs through town. Durango enjoys an elevation of 6580 feet and a population of 14,796.

Durango was founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1879. This historic train has been in continuous operation for over 123 years, carrying passengers behind vintage steam locomotives and rolling stock indigenous to the line. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad™ continues today, carrying passengers to Silverton.

Winter is a time for play in Durango. Winter sports include snowmobiling, skiing, cross-country skiing, snow skating, snowshoeing, ice skating, ice fishing and sledding. Durango is also famous for SNOWDOWN, a week-long midwinter celebration.

Ski at:
Silverton Mountain
Durango Mountain Resort - 25 miles north of Durango
Wolf Creek Ski Area
Hesperus
Chapman Hill -Located in Durango. Roller skating in the summer, ice skating, skiing and sledding in the winter.

Summer is a time for mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, swimming, river rafting or just sitting around enjoying the view. It is also time for Music in the Mountains.

The City of Durango maintains 32 parks and open space comprised of 839 acres. Many residents and visitors utilize Durango's parks for fishing, weddings, picnics and other special events. Many parks are used to host public events such as antique car shows, sporting events, concerts and culinary fairs. All park use is at no cost unless individuals need to reserve a site exclusively.

Fitness is important to the residents of Durango and the city offers a variety of fitness centers and sports clubs to meet everyone's individual preferences: City of Durango Rec Center, Durango Sports Club, Curves for Women, Fitness Solutions, Bodo fitness Center and Animas City Rock.

For the shopper Durango does have a Wal Mart, Home Depot, Albertsons, City Market and two shopping malls. Downtown Durango offers a number of tourist shops as well as art galleries. And, yes, there are a number of excellent coffee shops and bakeries, a Cold Stone Ice Cream as well as a Baskin Robbins and Dairy Queen.

Additional information links:

The Durango Herald
Durango area schools
Guide to fine dining in Durango

Additional Recreation Links:

Inside Outside Magazine
Iron Horse Bicycle races
The Four Corners Motorcycle Rally