Today Durango's fame as a mountain biking Mecca extends worldwide. Hundreds of miles of trails lace through the backcountry, and local riders bagged five gold and silver medals at the 1990 World Mountain Bike Championships. If you hope to come down and ride during the Labor Day weekend, be forewarned -- other cyclists pack the town. An annual gathering of motorcyclists led by Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell make hotel rooms a hard find. Many rooms are booked a year in advance.
‘Skinny tire' bikers can snatch a few thrills here, also. Short trails in the north and south sections of the city can be linked by a quick ride through downtown. Both trails closely follow El Rio de las Animas Perdidas, ‘the River of Lost Souls'.
In the north, the trail begins in the city park at 29th St & E 3rd Ave. To get there, take US550/Main Ave to 32nd St, head east to cross the river, and turn right on 3rd. The trail enters a wild stretch along the Animas River as it leaves the park. After crossing the river, it meets Junction Creek (0.7) in another city park. A side trail here runs upstream 0.2 miles to athletic fields. The main path continues beside the railroad tracks, finally crossing the river to end (1.2) in a pocket park on E 2nd Ave.
To connect to the southern stretch, you need to take a quick tour of the city. Head east (left) on 15th St one block, south (right) on 3rd for six blocks, and five blocks west (right) on 9th St. The trail begins again across the street, on the east back of the Animas. This 1.0 mile city tour is not strenuous, and the traffic is not heavy.
Head south on the paved trail behind hotels and businesses. After crossing under US160, the buildings disappear, exposing undeveloped hillsides. The trail follows the river around Gateway Park, where kayakers play in season. Bumpers hang from ropes strung across the river, defining courses to challenge the paddlers.
At mile 1.4 you pass under US160/US550, and soon cross the river. This land, south of Durango proper, has not been defiled by development. Old trees shade the trail, and traffic noises disappear under the roar of the river. Slowly the trail climbs a bluff to look down on the Animas, ending (2.6) in a dead end behind a stand of houses.
WHAT ELSE:
Durango is a fine base from which to explore the San Juan Mountains. This vacationland offers enough to warrant a short or long stay. Perhaps the town's most famous attraction is the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a forty-five mile rail trip through a narrow canyon unreachable by car. Allow for an eight-hour round trip when reserving tickets; each direction takes three hours and you'll want to wander around Silverton.
Further afield are Anasazi sites preserved under the National Park Service. Mesa Verde National Park, site of the world's largest cliff dwellings, lies an hour's drive west of Durango. Another hour further west, you can explore the isolated ruins enclosed by Hovenweep National Monument. These six sites feature, not cliff dwelling, but tall Anasazi stone towers.
