Trails
Durango is famous for its trails. Whether it's natural surface trails, or hard surface trails - we've got what you're looking for! Durango is home to over 100 miles of natural surface trails within City limits, as well as over 10 miles of hard surface trails connecting neighborhoods and parks to our business districts. With public lands owned by the BLM and USFS surrounding City limits, our local trail systems connect our community to the beautiful forests and mountains surrounding downtown Durango.
Click here for an interactive map of trails located on City of Durango lands.
Click here for an overview of public trails in and around Durango (PDF).
Natural Surface Trails
City of Durango parks and open spaces that are home to these trail systems include Overend Mountain Park, Horse Gulch, Dalla Mountain Park, Oxbow Park & Preserve, Twin Buttes, Three Springs and Chapman Hill.
Durango's natural surface trails are open to multi-use, non-motorized recreation and offer opportunities for mountain biking, hiking, trail running, dog walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and simply enjoying nature.
Durango's Centennial Nature Trail offers a great opportunity to learn about native plant communities. Click here for the Centennial Nature Trail and Plant Brochure (PDF).
For questions about Durango's trails, or to learn about hosting events or activities on these trail systems, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (970)375-7321 or rec@durangogov.org.
Animas river trail & smart 160 trail
Animas River Trail
The Animas River Trail (ART), a hard surface shared-use path, is the centerpiece of the city's trail system. It stretches nearly 7 miles through Durango's Animas River Greenway. The ART serves as the spine of the city's overall trail network and provides easy access to a variety of parks, open spaces and natural surface trails; the community recreation center, the public library, downtown Durango, neighborhoods and schools.
The Animas River Trail is a recreational trail as well as an important component of the city's transportation network. The ART is used extensively by area residents and visitors alike and is consistently rated as one of Durango top amenities.
Animas River Trail North Extension
http://durangogov.org/569/ART-North-Extension
SMART 160 Trail
The SMART 160 Trail (Safe Multi-modal Aesthetic Regional Transportation), has been a vision of Durango area residents since the mid 1990's. It is planned as a multi-use hard-surface trail along Highway 160 that will be built to the same standards as the Animas River Trail. Several segments of the trail are already constructed in the Grandview area with more segments in the planning and development stage.
Animas River Trail to SMART 160 Trail Connection
The City of Durango is evaluating the Animas River Trail to SMART 160 Trail connection with consideration of several alternatives. The trail planning and design involves the area between River Road and the existing section of the SMART 160 Trail at the west end of the Grandview interchange.
Winter Seasonal Trail Closures
Durango's natural resources are of great value to our community and our western heritage. Protecting wildlife habitat on City of Durango lands is accomplished, in part, by adhering to Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulations that require the winter seasonal closure of some recreational trails. Critical winter ranges of habitat for wildlife are key the survival of these species. When their food supplies become scarce in winter months, they depend on their body stores of nutrients to survive until spring and summer brings new plant growth and a renewed food source. Human recreation within these habitats force animals to flee interactions with humans and with dogs, depleting the nutrients their body is rationing to make it through long winter months when plants are dormant and food is scarce.
Please respect Durango's winter seasonal wildlife closures, and plan your winter recreation on trail systems that are open to winter recreation.
Twin Buttes
Seasonal trail closures on City of Durango lands are specific to Twin Buttes. Click here for a map of the Twin Buttes seasonal closures. CLOSURE UPDATE: TWIN BUTTES SEASONAL CLOSURE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO APRIL 30, 2019.
Horse Gulch
City of Durango's Horse Gulch trail system crosses boundaries onto the BLM's Grandview Ridge lands. Grandview Ridge trails are seasonally closed in order to protect winter wildlife habitat. CLOSURE UPDATE: BLM'S GRANDVIEW RIDGE TRAILS SEASONAL CLOSURE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO APRIL 30, 2019.
Dalla Mountain Park
City of Durango's Dalla Mountain Park trail system crosses boundaries onto the BLM's Animas City Mountain lands. Animas City Mountain trails are seasonally closed in order to protect winter wildlife habitat. CLOSURE UPDATE: BLM'S ANIMAS CITY MOUNTAIN TRAILS SEASONAL CLOSURE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO APRIL 30, 2019.
trail rules and etiquette
The City of Durango is expanding upon the Share the Trail philosophy to provide clear guidelines for the use of City trails to enhance the enjoyable experience of all trail users without adversely impacting the use of others. Trails are for everyone. Please respect other trail users and adhere to the following local trail expectations:
- Be courteous. All trail users should be respectful and aware of other users regardless of their mode, speed, or level of skill. Dogs must be on a leash. Keep trails clean and safe by disposing of trash and animal waste in appropriate trash receptacles.
- Be predictable. Travel in a consistent and predictable manner. Keep right and pass on left. Always look behind before changing positions on the trail.
- Yield to other trail users. Yield to slower and on-coming traffic. Bicyclists yield to pedestrians; and bicyclists riding downhill yield to bicyclists riding uphill. Yielding the right-of-way requires slowing down to a safe speed, being prepared to stop, establishing communication and passing safely. When merging onto a multi-use hard surface trail, yield to other users on the primary trail corridor.
- Be observable. Provide an easy to hear warning before passing. Give a clear signal using voice (state "On your left"), bell or horn well before passing. Wear lights and reflective clothing at night. Wear only one ear bud if listening to devices.
- Don't block the trail. When in a group or with your pets, move off the trail to avoid blocking the flow of other users. When stopping, trail users should move off the trail.
- Control your speed. Slow down and use caution when approaching other trail users and blind turns. Please keep speed under 10 mph on City hard surface trails.
- Conscious of noise. Be conscious of noise impacts on the experience of others and adjacent neighbors.
Trail Rules and Etiquette Specific Natural Surface Trails:
- Respect the trail. Stay on designated trails. Stay off natural surface trails that are wet or muddy. Avoid creating braided or social trails.
- Yield to Horses. All trail users yield to equestrians in open space areas where horses are allowed