The San Juan National Forest reports that Fall Color Viewing is best from Purgatory to Town
Durango to Purgatory: ~50%
Purgatory to Coal Bank: ~75%
Coal Bank to Molas is 90% and peaking
First rifle season for deer/elk kicks off OCtober 12-16 and Season two is October 19-27. Please wear blaze orange when out and about on the trails.
You’re invited to join Trails 2000 for our annual spring membership event to kick off the 2019 trail season: the Trails and Ales Party, on Monday, April 22, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Carver Brewing Company. Held on the annual recognition of Earth Day, this event gives all outdoor enthusiasts a chance to mix and mingle, learn more about how to get involved with Trails 2000, and give back to the trails in and around Durango. The event will feature live music from Space Between Shadows, a delicious spread of chili and salad, and a beer, glass of wine or root beer from Carvers to anyone who joins, renews or gives to Trails 2000.
Proceeds from the Trails and Ales Party directly support Trails 2000’s mission to plan, build, and maintain Durango’s trail network, educate trail users, and encourage connectivity on road, path, and trail. With over 300 miles of trails within 30 minutes of downtown, Durango is a trail mecca! Partnering with the City, County, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and private landowners, Trails 2000 and our cadre of volunteers contribute over 3,500 hours of trailwork on these lands. Trails 2000 believes that great trails build great communities and great communities build great trails. This is an event that strengthens both of those elements!
Stay tuned! As Trails 2000 gears up for the 2019 season, the organization will host a Trailwork Kickoff Party. More details will be announced here, and all weekend warriors, trail blazers, wanderers and trail lovers alike will be invited to come out for a fun work day to kick off the 2019 trail season. Details and volunteer sign up to be announced.
Trails 2000 hosts over 30 public trailwork parties on Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the trail season, including the annual Colorado Trail (CT) Work Weekend in mid-June 2019. The fun-filled camping weekend includes work on Trails 2000’s adopted section of the CT, sections 28.2 and 28.3 from Champion Venture to Junction Creek, totaling 19.1 miles and the longest adopted section in the state. Trails 2000 will also host a work day and celebration on Saturday, September 28, in recognition of National Public Lands Day.
No experience is necessary to volunteer at trailwork, and Trails 2000 provides the necessary instruction and safety tool talk, all tools, gloves, and water and snacks for the entire crew. For more information on upcoming trail events, please visit our Trail Calendar.
We hope to see you at our Trails and Ales Party on April 22!
Happy Trails!
Are you out and about fat biking, ski-touring, hiking? We need your help to update the Winter Trail Conditions page. Please submit photos and a brief update on trail conditions in our area from Horse Gulch to Sand Canyon and beyond and email us at info at trails2000 dot org or via Contact on the website and we’ll get your email. Thank you for helping collect winter trail information to keep the trail community informed! Happy Trails.
So many of us – whether locals or visitors; recreation-ists or commuters; mountain bikers, hikers, trail runners and more – use the trails. So why not give where you live and play? Trails 2000 invites Coloradans and all outdoor enthusiasts to support our efforts to plan, build and maintain the over 300 miles of trails in Durango, Colorado by donating to your local nonprofit trail organization on Colorado Gives Day, December 4, 2018.
Presented by Community First Foundation and FirstBank, Colorado Gives Day is an annual statewide movement to celebrate and increase philanthropy through online giving. The event is powered by ColoradoGives.org, a year-round, online giving website. Visit Trails 2000’s CO Gives profile, to make your safe and secure donation in a few easy steps.
Donations can now be made online by visiting Trails 2000’s CO Gives profile. Once on our profile, simply click the “Donate” button. Add your donation amount and press the “CO Gives Day” button to schedule it. Complete the other fields and click “add to cart.” Continue checking out by logging in or creating a donor account, entering your payment information, and then submit. Scheduled donations will process on Colorado Gives Day, December 4.
2018 memories will be centered around the 416 fire, greatly impacting our residents, area businesses, and beloved Hermosa area trails. Yet, now more than ever, Durango is known for its resilience and our shared trail experiences. From building the Spur Line Trails at Three Springs and NICA Colorado High School league state championship course to clearing trees on the Colorado Trail, Trails 2000 is your trail partner. This season alone our volunteers – led by trained crew leaders – provided over 4,500 volunteer hours on Durango’s area trails.
2018 Accomplishments:
Over 300 miles of trail are accessible within 30 minutes of downtown Durango. Trails 2000 plans, builds and maintains our local trail network; educates trail users; and encourages connectivity on road, path and trail. Partnering with the City, County, BLM, Forest Service and private landowners to create trail connectivity, Trails 2000 relies on your support to make our work possible.
Trails 2000 would like to thank you, your family and everyone who supported us this year. Trailwork and membership are important tools for our success, and we couldn’t do what we do without you. Your financial support is essential to our continued success, and we rely on your help.
Please contribute to our year-end campaign. To volunteer, or to become a member, please sign up for our email list in the upper right hand corner of this page. Purchase your holiday cards and a commemorative, artistic Colorado Trail poster today.
Registration is now closed. Thank you to all who signed up!
An Autumn Ride through the San Juan Mountains from Durango Trails 2000 on Vimeo.
Trails 2000 captured a unique mountain bike ride through the changing fall colors of the San Juan Mountains, nestled between Durango and Silverton in Southwest Colorado. Come take a ride with us!
After viewing, please help us keep in touch with you! We’re updating our contact database and need your help to make sure your information is up-to-date. Please fill out this form* with your email and contact information. The short, simple form takes less than a minute to complete and will ensure we can keep in touch on all things trails.
Thank you for being here – Happy Trails!
Trails 2000, Durango Nature Studies, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Alpine Bank are pleased to partner to plant milkweed seeds at the Hermosa Rail Yard on Friday, October 12, 2018, to help increase monarch butterflies in the area. Volunteers are needed to help plant milkweed from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the rail yard; all ages are welcome to volunteer and no experience is necessary, as all tools and instruction will be provided.
Milkweed plants are the only food source for monarch butterfly caterpillars. However, milkweed has severely declined in North America due to drastic changes in land use or management. Milkweed losses and other stressors are associated with declines in migratory monarch butterflies over the past 20 years. To compensate for the loss of milkweed, gardeners across North America are helping monarchs by planting native species of milkweeds and by keeping milkweeds safe from pesticides.
The project hopes to inspire adults and youth to come give back to the community. Volunteers should meet at the Hermosa Rail Yard, which is accessed by driving north on Highway 550 from Durango. After the train tracks cross the highway, just past Hermosa, take the first right onto the frontage road and park along the road or in the gravel parking area. All tools and instruction will be provided on site. Patti Zink, of Waterfall Ranch, will harvest milkweed pods from the ranch to transplant at the rail yard. Refreshments and snacks will be provided for all volunteer participants.
Registration for this event has now closed.
Effective Friday, August 24th, the closure area for the 416 Fire will shrink to allow public access to areas around the fire. The burned area of the 416 Fire is still closed to all public entry. Hazards are abundant within the fire perimeter; areas are still burning, dead and burned trees are falling, trails are washing out and debris flows are continuing.
The 416 Fire started June 1st and has been burning all summer. The burned area perimeter is mostly within the Hermosa Creek watershed and west of U.S. Highway 550 and is generally bounded on the south side by the Junction Creek Road (NFSR 171) north to and including the Lower Hermosa Road (NFSR 576), then west of, but excluding, the Elbert Creek Road (NFSR 581) and west of the Purgatory Ski Area boundary on the east side of the closure area. Generally bounded on the north by, but excluding, the Hermosa Park Road (NFSR 578) and Hotel Draw Road (NFSR 550) to its intersection with the Scotch Creek Road (NFSR 550.1). Generally bounded on the west and south sides by the Hermosa Creek watershed, excluding the Divide Road (NFSR 564) and Colorado Trail (NFST 520, 553 and 622) for their entirety.
The Junction Creek, Goulding and Elbert Creek roads are now open as are many segments of trails. The main stem of the Hermosa Creek Trail and the Hermosa road and campground are still closed as are many of the trails that are accessed by these roads. The Upper Dutch Creek and Castle Rock trails are now open, but Clear Creek trail and Jones Creek trail remain closed. The following is a description and a map of the roads and trails that are closed along with a map listing the BurroFire area trails that are open, part of Bear Creek trail is washed out by Gold Run but the balance of the area is open. 416FireExhibit_1_AreaClosure_SJ201820_416_FINAL_20180817 Bear CreekTrail Closure Burro Fire (003)
Trail closures due to the Plateau Fire in Dolores, Colorado include Boggy Draw, Bean Canyon, McNeil and McPhee Overlook trails, and access to Italian Canyon or Maverick trails. The eastern boundary comes within a mile of Highway 145. The closure encompasses an area bound roughly by McPhee Reservoir on the west, FS Road 527 on the east, FS Road 514 on the north and FS Road 249 on the south, including Boggy Draw.
The Dolores-Norwood Road is closed from the House Creek Road to Cottonwood Creek Road. Emergency staff, ranchers with livestock in the area and Kinder Morgan employees were being allowed through.
The House Creek Road, campground and boat ramp are closed, and a half-dozen campers were evacuated from the House Creek Campground about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Alternate routes to Groundhog Reservoir are via the Westfork Road, to Cottonwood Road (FR532), to the Dolores-Norwood Road north of the closed area.
Montezuma County has a call center for information on the Plateau Fire: (970) 564-4998 or (970) 564-4999
