Durango, CO, is a fun old western town that should be on your list of places to visit when traveling around Southwest Colorado. The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad founded Durango in 1880 as a supply and transportation hub for nearby mining communities. Its population back then was 2,500, with most men doing the dangerous work of smelting for the mines. It also had its share of cowboys, outlaws, cattlemen, and railroad laborers. To support, or take their hard-earned wages, were 20 gambling saloons and brothels, mostly squeezed onto the 900 block in the middle of the city.
When visiting this very western city today, you can see how Durango has come a long way in nearly 150 years.
Restored Hotels and Old West Charm
Today, much of the city’s main street has a charming look from the old days. This is helped by the architecture of four restored late-1800s hotels. Also, the seedy establishments on Durango’s ten-block downtown have been replaced with boutiques, restaurants, native crafts, theater, breweries, and souvenir shops.
I recommend peeking inside some of the old hotels and bars on Main Ave. The city still retains its Old West sound. Several times a day, you will hear the classic loud whistle of an old steam locomotive chugging into town.
Historic Choo-Choo Train
The city’s number one attraction is the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad ride to Silverton. The track to Silverton is only 3 feet wide and 45 miles long. It was built over some of the most treacherous terrain in Colorado to move silver and gold from Silverton and then resupply the mines. The train has been running continuously since 1882, with passenger/tourist service since 1951. It is a National Historic Landmark.
Riding these rails is incredibly scenic. You ride along the Animas River where the tracks run low along its banks, or high up with views all around. When buying your ticket, I recommend the following tips. First, consider sitting in the open-air Rio Grande Observation Car. This covered, windowless car has plenty of cushioned seating facing out. For less money and a little less comfort, you can ride the open-air gondola car. I recommend either of these two railcars for their semi-outdoor experience. These rail cars offer protection from the sun and light rain. If you want a traditional ride, there are different enclosed rail car classes. These range from basic coach to deluxe to the presidential car. Their website makes it easy to decide how you want to travel.
For the ride, sit on the more “scenic side.” This means that when going north, sit on the right facing forward, and when heading south, sit on the left. These afford you the best views. If you are riding the open-air cars, I recommend taking their mid-morning bus up and the train back. This is because the mornings can be cool at altitude. Their coach bus is large and comfortable, with commentary along the way regarding mining, the region’s history, and geography.
We opted for the noon bus up, returning to Durango at 3:15. This gave us 90 minutes to wander around Silverton. There are different departure times. You can also take the train round-trip, but for me it would be a long day. Also, before you make your reservation, check which engine they’re using. We opted for the old-style steam locomotive over their modern diesels.
The Silverton Depot is 2 blocks from Green Street, the main road of town. Silverton is another example of Old West architecture. Its streets are lined with restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, outdoor stores, and boutiques. Two standouts include Ortega’s Trading opposite the Imperial Hotel for native art, where we negotiated a price for native pottery. The second place we enjoyed was the Lacy Rose Saloon. The Lacy Rose has an old wooden bar, classic drinks, and lively piano on most afternoons. It made for the perfect pre-departure cocktail. While here, poke your head into the 1883 Imperial Hotel.
Before or after the train ride, stop by the D&SNGRR Railroad Museum across the tracks from the depot. This 12,000-square-foot museum is diverse. It houses old steam locomotives along with various vintage rail cars. The museum also has cars, farming equipment, planes, old firearms, and other regional memorabilia. Admission is included with your train ticket. For complete information on train rides and history about the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, go here.
Read More: Discovering Durango: A Hidden Gem in the Colorado Rockies
Soothing Waters
A wonderful way to end a day is with a pre-dinner soak in the thermal waters at the Durango Hot Springs. It is located 15 minutes north of Durango on 10 acres. The property has 19 family and 13 adults-only soaking pools. There are also two cold plunges, a 25-meter swimming pool, and five private Japanese-style cedar soaking pools you can optionally reserve. The springs contain 13 naturally occurring minerals.
The waters here are thermally heated, with a claim to be the only springs in the world to infuse “nanometer and micrometer” oxygen bubbles. This is supposed to increase the water’s purity. While I didn’t notice this unique feature, I did enjoy hopping between pools with temperatures ranging from the upper 90s to 111.
Durango Hot Springs has a full spa offering massage and skin treatments. A minor flaw here is the lack of shade except at the large pool. Bring a hat, sunscreen, and a swim shirt to protect yourself from the sun. The springs are open daily from 9 AM to 10 PM. For information and reservations during peak times, go here.
Mountain Fun
The Purgatory Resort is located 30 minutes north of Durango. It is known as the region’s premier ski mountain. In the summer months, it is a center for outdoor mountain activities.
A Five-Pack Day Pass gets you on any of the five activities offered. This includes the mountain coaster, alpine slide, scenic chair rides, Twilight Lake for boarding or kayaking, and treasure panning for kids. You can mix things up by using your pass any way five times.
Mountain bikers need a separate pass. This allows you to put your bike on the lifts to the top of the mountain. From there, you can take trails from mild to wild. This includes fast trails and some serious jumps.
Two fun and easy attractions are the alpine slide and the mountain coaster. Both are single cars you control with the brake handles. By pulling the handles, you can crawl down the mountain. Let up on the brake, and you can speed along. The mountain coaster offers a little more thrill. I saw 70-year-olds and 12-year-olds setting their own pace.
Save one of your five activity scans for the gondola ride. The views of the surrounding high peaks are beautiful. If you have small children, you can take them treasure panning. Treasure panning is dumping a bag full of dirt with hidden “gems” into streaming water. They then pan out the dirt to find colorful rocks.
For information on seasonal events, hotel rates, and food, go to purgatory.ski.
Scenic Drive and Hike
The Animas Overlook Trail is an easy 0.70-mile loop walk. You get there by driving 30 minutes outside Durango on the scenic Junction Creek Road. At the trail, you will find panoramic views and picnic tables. You can find different hikes in the area here.
Evening Entertainment
For something folksy, cowboy-themed, and entertaining, we spent one evening at the Bar D Chuckwagon Supper. The reason to come here is to listen to the house band, who play mostly cowboy songs, both serious and silly. Between songs, they throw in a good measure of humor.
Before the music starts, guests wander around their makeshift western village. Here you take a complimentary tractor ride or pay $10 to ride the mini train around the property. You can watch a blacksmith, visit an art gallery, leather shop, or shoot a low-yield round from an old revolver. Happy hour is a reasonably priced cash bar at the chocolate shop when you arrive.
Dinner is served cafeteria-style in tin plates and cups. Diners need to reserve BBQ chicken, BBQ beef, or the rib eye steak for an extra $10. Dinner comes with a potato, beans, and applesauce dessert. I recommend splurging on the rib eye steak, which we found tastier than the other mains. There are always seconds available.
Live Theater
Upon a recommendation from a roving Durango ambassador, we bought two tickets at the Durango Arts Center to what is called a “boo and hiss” show. The show, “The Notorious Nugget,” is a funny musical labeled as a “classical western melodrama.” It features a ruggedly handsome hero, a villain, a love interest, and other period characters set in a fictional 1914 Colorado mining town. Multiple actors play multiple parts, which is part of the fun.
As mentioned earlier, this is a “boo and hiss” show. This is because when the dastardly bad guy enters the scene rubbing his waxed mustache and saying something evil, the audience hisses and boos. When there is a corny romantic scene, the audience all goes “aww.” It was two hours of fun and laughter. I recommend that when visiting Durango, you see what’s playing. Each season the show changes but may have a similar theme.
Music
Live music plays throughout the summer on most nights somewhere in Durango. At the Strater Hotel, we enjoyed the rock band at the Diamond Belle Saloon, where bartenders and waitresses dress in old western attire. On Fridays and Saturdays, they usually have a lively ragtime piano player. The Strater’s other bar and restaurant next door frequently has a solo guitarist.
You can find more information to see who is playing indoros or outdoors at Two websites to see who is playing indoors or outdoors can be found here and here.
Native Arts
Toh-Atin Gallery handles native arts. They carry jewelry, sculptures, paintings, decorative knives, pottery, rugs, and weaving. The store is almost museum-like, with a friendly staff that will take the time to explain anything you see in a no-sales-pressure environment. toh-atin.com
Visit Center
The first thing I recommend when arriving in Durango is to go to the visitor center at Main Ave and 8th Street. The friendly people there will give you a Durango guide and advice on events during your stay. They can recommend hikes and attractions and point you to a place to eat based on your taste. They can also help you with activities within the county. The center has dozens of brochures on anything you can do while visiting Durango.
Lodging
Antlers on the Creek Bed and Breakfast is the place I will return to when coming back to Durango. This five-room inn checks all the boxes. It has spacious, comfortable suites, beautiful grounds, delicious full breakfasts, and a quiet location several minutes outside Durango.
Desirae, the innkeeper-chef, has been in hospitality since she was 16. She is friendly, funny, helpful, and loves to cook. She always makes sure the dining room has fresh cookies. With advance notice, Desirae will also create an in-house private romantic dinner or pack you a tasty picnic lunch.
Food
Steamworks Brewing Company was a good lunch stop while strolling the shops in town. They are an award-winning brewery that serves lunch and dinner. They have an extensive and diverse menu, making it more of a gastropub. We tried their smoked wings, burger, dirty fries, and Indonesian peanut salad, which were all tasty. With too many beers to choose from, I recommend their beer flights so you can try their diverse selection.
Perbacco Cucina Italiano is located near the train depot. We chose this place based on a recommendation and its ratings, and learned that their marinara sauce (gravy, as they used in the old neighborhood) is slow-cooked. We loved their meatball starter smothered in that sauce. Our pasta dishes included pappardelle in a beef short rib ragu and spaghetti Cacio e Pepe, which had the right amount of Pecorino cheese, black pepper, and cream. Because this is the closest restaurant to the train depot, it is advisable to make reservations.
The surprise takeout lunch for us was at Durango Bagel across from the train depot. This was a quick grab-and-go for the train ride. Being an ex-New Yorker, I take bagels seriously. They boil and bake them the way they are supposed to be made, meaning the outside is a little crunchy, and the inside is a little chewy. They have several schmears to choose from. You can call in advance to save time.
Nearby Day Trips
While in Durango, consider visiting Mesa Verde 45 minutes west, Pagosa Springs one hour to the east, or driving to Telluride three hours on the scenic Million Dollar Highway.
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Author Bio: After 30 years in the business world, Tab Hauser reinvented himself as a journalist and professional photographer. His travels have taken him to seven continents and 100 countries or unique locations. He is an Explorers Club Friend, a member of the New York Press Association, a diver, and a U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Captain. This native New Yorker now calls Colorado home. Follow on Facebook.
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