Durango is a base town rather than a destination in itself, and almost everything worth doing here involves getting on something and going somewhere. A coal fired steam train runs north to Silverton, the Million Dollar Highway loops through the San Juans, and the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde sit half an hour west. What makes it work is that the town at the center of it is genuinely good on its own: a walkable Main Avenue with breweries older than most of the state's, and a river running straight through it.
The top 15, ranked
Ranked from official sources: the National Park Service, the United States Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Colorado Department of Transportation and each operator's own ticket page, with the published adult price beside every pick.
- Top pick
1Best for first time visitors · #1 of 15
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Heritage RailwayDowntown to Silvertonseasonal daily departures through the operating season, with several excursion formats including a shorter bus and train option$50 plusA coal fired steam train still runs the full line north to Silverton through canyons the road cannot reach, on track laid in 1882. Four classes of service run on the same train, and the published fares are all inclusive rather than quoted before fees.
Local tipThe class you pick changes the seating as much as the price. Some cars have open air viewing platforms and some do not, which matters more than it sounds on a nine hour day.
- Top pick
#2Best for history · #2 of 15Mesa Verde National Park
National ParkWest toward Cortezopen year round, with the entrance fee rate and the tour and facility availability both changing by season$25 to $50Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings sit built into the canyon walls about 36 miles west of town, and the park protects thousands of archaeological sites alongside them. It is the single most significant thing within reach of Durango.
Local tipThe vehicle fee gets you in, but the ranger guided cliff dwelling tours are separate, seasonal and need booking in advance. The park also takes no cash at all.
- Top pick
3Best for a soak · #3 of 15
Durango Hot Springs Resort and Spa
Hot SpringsNorth on US 550open daily from morning into the late evening, with reservations required$25 to $50Dozens of mineral pools sit six miles north of town, open every day of the year. It trades under a new name after a rebuild, and it is the obvious end to a day spent on a train or a trail.
Local tipAdmission is sold as a timed two hour or three hour session and reservations are required, so this is not somewhere to turn up on impulse after dinner.
-
4Best for families · #4 of 15
Purgatory Resort summer activities
Mountain ActivityNorth on US 550daily through midsummer, then weekends only into early fall, on daytime hours$10 to $25An alpine slide, a mountain coaster, a scenic chairlift and treasure panning share one ticket structure on the mountain 25 miles north. In winter the same mountain is a ski area, priced on a completely different basis.
Local tipThe five activity pack costs a little more than two single tickets, so it pays for itself quickly. The bike park is a separate purchase on top of either.
-
5Best for history · #5 of 15
Chimney Rock National Monument
National MonumentEast toward Pagosa Springsthe main gate opens daily in season, the archaeological sites close earlier than the gate, and the visitor center is staffed only through the warmer months$10 to $25Roughly 200 ancestral Puebloan homes and ceremonial buildings sit on a high ridge between Durango and Pagosa Springs, including a Great Kiva and a Chacoan style pueblo. The half mile climb to the top opens views across two states.
Local tipThe vehicle pass covers self guided access for five days. Guided tours are booked separately and cost extra, and the site takes cards only.
-
6Best for drivers · #6 of 15
The San Juan Skyway
Scenic DriveThe San Juan Mountainsopen year round as a public highway, with mountain sections subject to winter travel restrictionsFreeA 236 mile designated All American Road loops from Durango through Silverton, Ouray, Telluride and Cortez, taking about six hours of pure driving. The section between Ouray and Silverton is the stretch everyone means when they say the Million Dollar Highway.
Local tipBudget a full day rather than the six hours, because the stops are the point. Check conditions on the high passes before setting out in winter.
-
7Best for hikers · #7 of 15
San Juan National Forest
National ForestSurrounding Durangoopen year round, with many forest roads closed through the winter and reopening in late springFreeAbout 1.8 million acres wrap around the town, running from high desert mesa up to alpine peaks. It is the reason the train ride and the skyway look the way they do, and most of it is free to walk into.
Local tipCheck current conditions before setting out. The forest is still carrying road and trail damage from the historic flooding of October 2025, and many roads only open from late spring.
-
8Best for history · #8 of 15
Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum
Cultural MuseumIgnacioopen Tuesday through Friday, closed at weekends and for most federal and tribal holidaysUnder $10The museum is run by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in Ignacio, 25 miles southeast, and tells the origin, language and history of the Nuuchi in their own words. It is the counterweight to a region otherwise told through mining and railways.
Local tipIt closes at weekends, unlike almost everything else on this list, so it has to go into a weekday slot.
-
9Best for boating · #9 of 15
Navajo State Park
State ParkArbolesthe park is open daily from early morning to late evening, with the office keeping shorter daytime hours$10 to $25Colorado's second largest reservoir sits about 35 miles southeast, with a marina, boat ramps and camping. It is the only real water on this list and the fee is charged per vehicle rather than per head.
Local tipBecause the pass covers the vehicle and everyone in it, this is one of the cheaper family days here if you arrive together.
-
10Best for rafting · #10 of 15
Rafting the Animas with Rivertrippers
Rafting OutfitterDowntownseasonal, with the trip list varying each year by river conditionsTicketedThe Animas runs straight through the middle of town, and this outfitter has been putting people on it since 1983. Trips run from short floats through the town stretch up to a full day on the harder water upriver.
Local tipCombination packages pair a raft trip with a jeep tour or a Mesa Verde run, which is the efficient way to use a single day here.
-
11Best for a summer evening · #11 of 15
Bar D Chuckwagon
Dinner ShowNorth on County Road 250an evening only operation, with gates and shops opening in the late afternoon and supper served before the showTicketedA chuckwagon supper followed by the Bar D Wranglers playing old west songs, comedy and instrumentals, running since 1969. It calls itself one of the longest running live music events in Durango and it is unapologetically what it is.
Local tipReservations are required and the season is short, from Memorial Day weekend through September only. It runs rain or shine.
-
12Best for beer · #12 of 15
Ska Brewing Company
BreweryGirard Streetthe taproom opens daily from late morning, with guided tours on three fixed slots a weekFree with paid optionsThe brewery claims the largest beer garden in town and has been voted the best in Durango for more than fifteen years running. It also runs proper guided tours of the brewhouse rather than just pouring beer.
Local tipTours run only three times a week, cap at ten guests and ask you to arrive fifteen minutes early, so they need booking rather than walking in.
-
13Best for art · #13 of 15
Durango Arts Center
Arts CenterEast 2nd Avenuethe gallery opens Tuesday through Saturday on afternoon hours, with performance times following each ticketed eventFree with paid optionsAround twenty five exhibitions a year run across several galleries here, and the building also houses the town's repertory theater company and its youth theater. It is the one place in Durango doing both visual and performing arts under one roof.
Local tipPerformances run outside the standard gallery hours, so check the calendar rather than turning up in the afternoon expecting a show.
-
14Best for a Saturday morning · #14 of 15
Durango Farmers Market
Farmers MarketWest 9th StreetSaturday mornings only, across a season running from May into the end of OctoberFreeThe market runs Saturday mornings from May into the end of October, with growers from the surrounding valleys and cooking demonstrations alongside the stalls. It also runs a second Saturday event on Main Avenue downtown.
Local tipIt finishes at midday and the start slips later in October, so this is a first thing on Saturday stop rather than a lunchtime one.
-
15Best for researchers · #15 of 15
Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College
College MuseumFort Lewis College campusthe gallery opens on weekday afternoons only, or by appointment, with the research library moving to appointment only over the summerFreeThe college holds a museum, an archive and a gallery devoted to the history of the Southwest and to Native American collections, up on the mesa above town. It is a genuine research collection rather than a visitor attraction dressed as one.
Local tipThe gallery window is a three hour weekday afternoon, so this needs planning around rather than dropping into.
Where things cluster
Durango sits at the bottom of the mountains with the good things spread out around it: the train and the ski mountain north, the cliff dwellings west, the reservation and the reservoir southeast, and a compact walkable town in the middle.
- Downtown Durango and Main AvenueThe historic core, with the railway depot at one end, the breweries and galleries along Main Avenue, and the Animas running behind it.
- Silverton and the US 550 corridorThe road north through the San Juans to the old mining town, passing Purgatory on the way and reachable by train as well as by car.
- Mesa Verde and the Cortez areaThe drier country west toward the Four Corners, holding the cliff dwellings and the archaeology that goes with them.
- Ignacio and the Southern Ute ReservationThe valley southeast of town, home to the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum about 25 miles out.
Make it a day
Give the day to the train
The round trip to Silverton takes most of a day and there is no sensible way to shorten it, so if you only have one day, spend it on the train and let that be the day. Book a class with an open air platform if the weather looks settled. Come back into town in the late afternoon, walk Main Avenue, and finish at Ska or Carver. If a full day on rails sounds like too much, the bus up and train back option cuts it roughly in half.
Rails one day, ruins the next
Take the train to Silverton on the first day and end it at the hot springs north of town, which stay open late and sit on the way back. Drive west on the second day to Mesa Verde, booking a ranger guided cliff dwelling tour in advance because they are seasonal and they sell out. If you would rather stay closer, swap Mesa Verde for Chimney Rock to the east, which needs half the driving and takes cards only.
Map
Best time to visit
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Summer into early fall is when the whole list is available. The train runs its full Silverton season, the Purgatory summer activities open, the Bar D Chuckwagon runs from Memorial Day weekend through September, and the farmers market runs Saturdays from May into the end of October. Winter narrows things considerably: many San Juan National Forest roads close from around December, Mesa Verde drops to a lower entrance fee but also to reduced tour availability, and the Chimney Rock visitor center is only staffed from mid May to mid October.
Staying over? Compare hotels in Durango at Expedia.
Deep Arrival earns a commission when you buy through partner links. It does not change the price you pay.
Durango things to do FAQ
The train fare, the drive to Mesa Verde, the free options and the winter picture, answered before you book.
What is Durango known for?
Durango is known for the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a coal fired steam train that still runs the 1882 line north through the San Juan Mountains. It is also the closest base town to Mesa Verde National Park and its cliff dwellings, and it sits on the San Juan Skyway loop that includes the Million Dollar Highway.
How much does the Durango to Silverton train cost?
The operator publishes an all inclusive standard class coach fare of $118 for the full round trip, which already includes the historic preservation fee. Higher classes cost more and the separate bus and train option is priced differently. Fares are published on the railroad's own excursion page and are worth checking before booking.
How far is Mesa Verde from Durango?
About 36 miles west, which is roughly a 45 minute drive to the park entrance and longer again to reach the cliff dwellings themselves. The park charges $30 per private vehicle for a seven day pass from May to late October and $20 for the rest of the year, and it does not accept cash.
What can you do in Durango without spending money?
Quite a lot. The San Juan Skyway is a public highway and free to drive, the San Juan National Forest is free to walk into, the Saturday farmers market has no admission, and the Center of Southwest Studies gallery at Fort Lewis College charges nothing. The gallery side of the Durango Arts Center is also free, with only the performances ticketed.
Is Durango worth visiting in winter?
It depends on what you want. Purgatory becomes a ski area and Mesa Verde charges a lower entrance fee, but many forest roads close from around December, the Chimney Rock visitor center shuts after mid October, and both the Bar D Chuckwagon and the farmers market close for the season. The hot springs and the town itself stay open all year.
How long do you need in Durango?
Two days is the sensible minimum, because the train alone takes most of one and Mesa Verde takes most of another. Three days lets you add the San Juan Skyway loop or a day on the river without cutting anything short.
Keep planning
Use these nearby guides to extend a Durango trip through the rest of the San Juans.
Image credits. Hero: Mike McBey / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. 2 Mesa Verde National Park: Tobi 87 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.