The Animas River and Downtown Durango
Animas River Trail, Durango, CO
Durango, CO
A snowmelt river tumbling out of the San Juan Mountains and straight through the heart of Durango, past a whitewater park, a riverside trail, and a Victorian main street where a coal-fired steam train still whistles.
Most towns keep their rivers at the edge. Durango wears its river through the middle. The Animas comes rushing out of the San Juan Mountains and runs straight through the center of town, cold and quick with snowmelt, past a riverside trail, a whitewater park, and the brick storefronts of one of Colorado's best-preserved Victorian main streets. It is the reason Durango feels less like a destination you visit and more like an outdoor town you fall into.
The river and the town grew up together. Durango was born of the railroad in 1880, and the same era's coal-fired steam trains still puff north out of the depot and up the Animas gorge toward Silverton. Between the river, the trail that follows it, and the historic streets a block away, a visit here is as simple as parking downtown and wandering to the water.
What Guests Love
- A real mountain river running through the center of town
- The paved Animas River Trail for walking, biking, and watching the rapids
- Tubing and kayaking the in-town whitewater park in summer
- A Victorian main street and the famous narrow-gauge steam train
Worth Knowing
- The river runs high, cold, and fast with snowmelt in late spring and early summer, so respect the current
- The Animas River Trail runs for miles along the water and is the easiest way to enjoy the river on foot or by bike
- Downtown Durango is walkable and historic, an easy stroll from the riverbanks
- Durango sits at about 6,500 feet, so pace yourself with the altitude and mountain sun
Details
Durango, CO
Learn about The Animas River and Downtown Durango
A river through the middle of town
The Animas River is Durango's spine. Fed by the snows of the high San Juans, it runs clear and strong through the heart of the city, and the town has built its life around it. The paved Animas River Trail traces the water for miles, a favorite route for walkers, runners, and cyclists, and on a summer day the banks fill with people watching the current or heading in.
In the warm months the river becomes a playground. A whitewater park with engineered rapids draws kayakers and surfers, and tubers drift the gentler stretches with the town sliding by on either side. Anglers work the riffles for trout, and the whole scene gives Durango the easygoing, water-loving feel of a genuine mountain river town.
The steam train and a Victorian main street
Durango exists because of the railroad, founded in 1880 by the Denver and Rio Grande to serve the mining camps of the San Juans. That heritage is still very much alive: the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad runs vintage coal-fired steam locomotives on a spectacular route up the Animas gorge to the old mining town of Silverton, one of the great historic train rides in the country, and its whistle is part of the town's daily soundtrack.
A block from the river, historic Main Avenue runs through a National Historic District of Victorian brick buildings, from the landmark Strater Hotel to a lineup of shops, cafes, and murals that give the downtown its character. The combination of a wild river, a steam railroad, and a well-kept old main street is what makes Durango special, a real Western town that never stopped being one.
Gateway to the San Juans
Durango is also a launching point for some of the most dramatic country in Colorado. To the north, the San Juan Skyway and the famous Million Dollar Highway climb over high passes to Silverton and Ouray past waterfalls and old mines. To the west lie the ancient cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, and in every direction the San Juan Mountains rise in jagged, snow-streaked ranks.
All of it starts at the river. Spend a morning on the Animas River Trail, watch the kayakers work the whitewater park, wander the historic streets, and you have the essence of Durango: a mountain town where the wild high country and a lived-in Western history meet at the edge of a rushing river.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Durango
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Downtown depot
Vintage coal-fired steam trains running a spectacular route up the Animas gorge to the historic mining town of Silverton.
Historic Main Avenue
About 2 blocks
Durango's Victorian downtown, a National Historic District of brick storefronts, cafes, murals, and the landmark Strater Hotel.
Mesa Verde National Park
About 35 miles west
Cliff dwellings built by Ancestral Puebloan people, among the best-preserved archaeological sites in the United States.
San Juan Skyway and the Million Dollar Highway
North from town
A jaw-dropping mountain drive over high passes to Silverton and Ouray, past waterfalls, cliffs, and old mining country.