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Durango Description Durango, Colorado is the largest town in southwestern Colorado, located near the famous Four Corners junction of the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. Durango was founded on April 13th, 1881 by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad company and has always been considered a ‘railroad town’. The area was originally settled by the Anasazi Indians, now called the Ancestral Puebloans, known for their impressive cliff dwellings. This western destination is situated between the red sandstone hills of the Animas River Valley. Northeast are the San Juan and Needles Mountains, to the west is arid desert land, and to the South is the vast San Juan National Forest and canyon country. Durango, Colorado sits at 6,512 feet in elevation and receives over 300 sunny days a year, more than Orlando, Florida or Hollywood, California! Fast Facts Started in 1972, the Iron Horse Bike Classic is run in Durango Colorado on Memorial Day weekend and is longest running cycling event in the United States. Famous western writer Louis L'Amour wrote his Sackett Series of stories while staying at The Strater Hotel, a well known Durango landmark. The name 'Durango' is derived from the Basque word Urango meaning water town. The original mayor named this southwest Colorado town after Durango, Mexico. Durango and Silverton Railroad Travel the World through Poster Art! Contact Us | Privacy Statement Copyrighted by Graphic Maps All rights reserved! All maps, graphics, flags and original descriptions created by Graphic Maps, a d/b/a of the Woolwine-Moen Group, unless otherwise noted and/or directly linked to the source, and use of same for any application whatsoever (with the exception of outline maps) requires written permission. We make no copyright claim on any statistical data on this page, nor on any non-original graphics, and/or pictures not produced by us. Certain statistical data is gathered from the CIA World Factbook, as well as numerous public domain reference materials. Every effort is made to be as accurate as possible when disseminating information on any worldwide destination. We are not responsible for unintentional data entry errors or omissions. If you would like to submit an addition, change or correction, or suggest a new link, please forward it to our it to our map department and we will give it our immediate attention.

Major Durango Attractions Durango Mountain Resort The Durango Mountain Resort is a year round family fun destination with 85 ski trails and 11 lifts on 1,200 breathtaking acres in the San Juan Mountains. You can also enjoy snowmobiling, Sno-Cat tours, dedicated snow boarding zones, and intoxicating views of the Needles and La Plata Mountain Ranges. Durango Mountain Resort receives over 260 inches of virgin Colorado snow every year. During the late spring and summer, Durango Mountain, also known as Purgatory Mountain, is home to pulse pounding alpine slides, world class rock climbing and rappelling, cookouts, festivals and summer youth camps. In addition, the resort makes a great launching point for all kinds of outdoor activities in the Colorado wilderness. Durango and Silverton Railroad The railroad finally arrived in Durango, Colorado on August 5, 1881, and construction on the line to Silverton began in the fall of the same year. By July of 1882 the tracks to Silverton were completed and the train began hauling both freight and passengers. The line was originally constructed to haul silver & gold ore from the San Juan Mountains back to Durango, but passengers of the day soon realized it was the view that was truly captivating. This historic train has been in continuous operation for nearly 125 years, carrying passengers on a spectacular journey through the mountains on a narrow-guage railroad. Of all of the attractions in Colorado, this is one of the best. Mesa Verde National Park Mesa Verde National Park is just a short distance to the southwest of Durango and is a must-see while in this area of Colorado. The landscape of Mesa Verde is awe inspiring and this is the historic site of the once thriving Anasazi civilization. These Ancient Puebloans created vast cliff dwellings throughout the bluffs, including the incredible Cliff Palace and Mesa Verde has been declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by the United Nations. Activities in Mesa Verde include half and full day tours with experienced guides well-versed in the 700 year history of cliff dwellers. The Mesa Verde Museum dedicated to the culture and history of the Anasazi people. Campgrounds are available from May to October and the Far View Lodge opens a month earlier for eager visitors. Additional archaeological sites are nearby to Durango Colorado and ready to be explored. Las Animas River Adventures White water rafting, world class fly fishing and kayaking tours are just some of the great things to do on El Rio de Las Animas Perdidas, right outside the town of Durango. Las Animas is also known as the Purgatory River and the formal name translates as River of Lost Souls. Explorers from Spain named the river after a group of explorers disappeared and their bodies were lost, not receiving the Catholic Last Rites so important to their faith. They believed these Lost Souls were confined to Purgatory until judgment day. The upper Las Animas River offers extreme white water rafting and the lower runs are great for all levels of experience. A two-mile stretch of the Animas River is Gold Medal water, with the highest rating for quality of large trout fishing. Las Animas is full of Rainbows, Browns, Rivers, and Cutthroat trout. The nearby San Juan River is also a popular fly fishing destination for Colorado vacations. Visit these city pages for more great things to do in Colorado: Aspen here! Boulder here! Colorado Springs here! Denver here! Vail here! additional U.S. States here Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming ***Washington D.C.

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