We know you've traveled far and wide to come celebrate us, and we want to make sure you get the most out of your trip!

MAP:

Check out this map for our favorite places to eat, drink, hike, bike and fish!

IN TOWN:

Durango has a lot of cute shops, cafes, and art galleries. We recommend checking out the Farmer's Market (Saturday morning), the Smiley Building (an elementary school converted into a community coworking space with a cafe and local artists), and the Powerhouse (an old power plant converted into a kids science center)!

One of our favorite local things to do is walk the 7 mile stretch of the Animas River Trail that goes right through town. You can find some swimming holes to cool off in, or go watch kayakers play around at the Santa Rita whitewater park.

HIKING/OTHER ACTIVITIES:

Ice Lake Basin (Silverton area) – a super beautiful and popular trail in our area (get to the parking lot early if you want a spot).

Highland Mary Lake (Silverton area) – a fun hike that's a little less popular and leads to pretty alpine lakes. You can add a couple extra miles and make this into a loop hike.

Animas Mountain Trail System (Durango Area) - an extensive trail system that can keep you busy for hours, located just on the north side of town.

Junction Creek Trail (Durango area) – this is the starting point of the Colorado Trail. The first few miles are fairly flat, partially shaded and follow a shady creek. This is a great hike to do in the heat of the day, as it is shaded for the majority of the trail!

Falls Creek (Durango area) – this is a beautiful and flat meadow trail that has some great cliffy views. We recommend hitting this trail in the morning or in the evening, but to avoid it midday - there's not much reprieve from the sun!

Lake Nighthorse: Rent a paddleboard, take a dip, play around on the wibit! There are some cool places to hang your hammock if you're willing to take a walk. We recommend arriving early to secure parking and a hang out spot.

Durango Hot Springs: If you're unable to join us Sunday evening, carve out some time to take a soak in some world-class hot springs!

MOUNTAIN BIKING:

Mike's + Cuchillo – these trails are part of the Horse Gulch trail system in town (which has a bunch of other trails to explore). Swing by Anarchy Brewing (across the road) for a post-ride beer!

Hidden Valley + Star Wars – fun flowy trail, add on 8 Bells + Browns Ridge for some extra riding!

DAY TRIPS:

Mesa Verde National Park – In Heather's opinion, this is a must-see. A UNESCO World Heritage Site with cliff dwellings and mesa-top villages built by Ancestral Puebloan people. It’s mainly accessible by car with several spots where you can get out for short walks/hikes.

Silverton & Ouray – Silverton and Ouray are two historic mining towns in the San Juan Mountains. The drive has stunning views of the mountains and plenty of spots to stop for beautiful walks/hikes, and hot springs along the way.

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad – Take the historic train from downtown Durango all the way up to Silverton! It's a beautiful train ride through the mountains, and allows you to spend the day poking around the tiny mountain town of Silverton. Please note the train ride is 3.5 hours. Heather recommends taking the train there, and taking the bus back (unless you're really into trains!)

Telluride – a little over 2 hours away from Durango and has some more great hiking and biking options. The gondola is free to take up and down the mountain in the summer, allowing you to hike around without putting in any of the hard work!