Working with our land management partners at the Bureau of Land Management, Durango Trails has been hard at work completing trails at Animas Mountain. The BLM fire crew cleared the lines and the Durango Trails crew has been busy installing grade reversals, outslope as well as drainage features, and finish work on the new construction.
The USFS is doing a fuels thinning project in Log Chutes. The entire trail remains open.
Here are some specific details directly from the contractor: The contractor will be camping in the area above the camping closure past the overlook and traveling down to the site everyday 6:30ish. There should be a barrier at the intersection of Logchutes Two and the JC creek road.
The trailwork calendar for May and June is below; please note that advance registration is required for all trailwork events. Please sign up via the links below.
No experience is necessary and Durango Trails will provide the necessary instruction and safety tool talk as well as all tools, gloves, water and lunch for the entire crew.
Volunteers should wear closed toe shoes or boots, long pants, shirt (long or short sleeved), sun hat, sunscreen, and bring a water bottle, and rain jacket (optional). Durango Trails will provide all tools, instruction, gloves and water.
Wednesday, May 19th – Skyline Trail Maintenance SIGN UP HERE
Wednesday, May 26th – Ned’s Hill Reroute and Maintenance SIGN UP HERE
Friday, June 4th – Colorado Trail Maintenance at Junction Creek SIGN UP HERE
Wednesday, June 9th – Twin Buttes Maintenance SIGN UP HERE
Saturday & Sunday, June 25-27 – Colorado Trail Maintenance Weekend, Campion Venture, Time and Sign Up TBD!
Happy Trails!
It’s that time of year, shoulder season, mud season but certainly not riding your mountain biking at lunch time season.
It’s best to avoid standing water and mud. Right now, the snow is melting on the south face, and still present on the north faces, making the space in between mud.
The soil displacement from riding, walking and running at this time carries the soil away. If the trail is 90% rideable, the 10% that is muddy can still ruin your derailleur or running shoes.
Technically, it’s best to turn around once you encounter muddy trails. If you need to ride, walk or run through mud to get back to dry dirt, run right through the puddles and mud thereby not causing damage to trailside vegetation or unnecessary trail widening.
Even if you find it rideable, it’s best to wait until things dry out.
Read the Durango Trails Trail Conditions Report before heading out
Join the Durango Trails Facebook Trail Conditions group
Ride Gravel
Explore the Animas River Trail
Hike or run in the early morning (before 9:30 am) or late afternoon (after 5:00 pm) – muddy areas are more likely to be harder (colder air temps) and less messy since harder soils are much less likely to erode.
When possible, stick to south-facing trails, which tend to be drier – the drier the trail, the less damage done – if any
Donate to Durango Trails to help support our ongoing trail maintenance efforts
Visit American Trails’ guide to trail etiquette when mud is present.
Welcome to Durango’s trails! Whether you are visiting our area or are simply a new local trail user, we hope you enjoy your time on the trails.
Here in Durango, we believe that trails are the gateway to the outdoors, leading us to amazing outdoor adventures and connecting our community in more ways than one.
Our trail network is divided into four regions (see below for recommended trails in each region):
Urban Interface or In-Town trails, known as “Lunch Rides,” are trails that are easily accessed from town, and generally require only an hour or two to complete
Mid-Country Trails, or “Mini Adventures,” allow you to experience a half day ride, hike or run in the mid country areas surrounding Durango
Our trails are primarily two way; uphill traffic has the right of way. When it comes to mixed-use trails, remember that bikes yield to hikers and horseback riders, and hikers yield to horseback riders.
We are proud of our share the trails ethics. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with proper trail etiquette so that all users can have an enjoyable experience. Remember to say hello when greeted by other trail users!
Be sure to educate yourself on current COVID-19 guidelines as well as all active fire restrictions before setting out.
Welcome to Durango; we look forward to seeing you on the trails!
Durango Trails is Durango, Colorado’s local non profit trails organization, connecting you to the outdoors. We plan, build and maintain trails; educate trail users; and encourage connectivity on the road, path and trail. If you’ve enjoyed our trails, we encourage you to please consider donating to Durango Trails so we continue our hard work! We also have awesome merchandise to help rep your #DurangoTrailLove!
The trails love you, love them back. Learn more about how to show a little Durango Trail Love this season.
The Horse Gulch/Telegraph Trail System is the perfect trail system for all levels and user types. Located right in-town, it is a local favorite for hiking and mountain biking, and with so many different connectin
The Animas River Trail, a hard surface shared-use path, is a very enjoyable paved trail great for all ages and skill levels.
The trails love you, love them back. Learn more about how to show a little Durango Trail Love this season.
La Plata Canyon is in an area west of Durango with many mid country trail options.
The Hermosa Creek trails connect you to a variety of high country routes from Jones Creek to Pinkerton or upper Hermosa to Bolam Pass or Hotel Draw.
The trails love you, love them back. Learn more about how to show a little Durango Trail Love this season.
Molas Pass is a popular place for high country trail access just north of Durango.
Near Silverton you’ll find a number of thirteeners that can be completed as day hikes, including Kendall Mountain, Kendall Peak and Stony Peak.
The trails love you, love them back. Learn more about how to show a little Durango Trail Love this season.
This fast rolling singletrack ride is a popular trail winding through pinyon and juniper forest near Cortez, Colorado.
The Boggy Trailhead also hosts three other trails that offer a wide variety of terrain and range of difficulties.
Durango Trails is excited to announce the opening of a new trail connecting Powerline to Extended Ridge!
After an unprecedented spring season, Durango Trails, working with the City of Durango, has completed the construction of the RidgeView Trail. Work on RidgeView was initiated last season by our hard-working volunteers and was completed this season by the Durango Trails Crew Leader team, as volunteer trailwork days have been put on hold so far this year due to COVID-19.
“Durango Trails has been working with the City for over two decades, planning, building, and maintaining our area trails; partnering on education, outreach, and helping connect our town. We are so pleased that they are visionary and solution-oriented and can deliver top-notch trails to our community,” said Councilor Chris Bettin who also sits on the Park and Recreation Advisory Board.
“Trails are the cornerstone of our community, the gateway to the outdoors, and the work of Durango Trails can not be overstated as it relates to the branding of Durango and its role in our recovery from this global pandemic,” added Rachel Brown, director of Visit Durango, Durango’s destination marketing organization.
As a celebration of the Solstice, the RidgeView Trail will officially open on Saturday, June 20. Since the opening celebration will be virtual, please help us celebrate by viewing and sharing the celebratory video below.
The trail is located off of the Powerline Trail and connects Powerline to Raider Ridge.
Updated Nov. 20, 2020
If you’re seeking best practices while on our area trails, here are suggestions. As of November 20, 2020, the state of La Plata County’s COVID-19 restrictions are now labeled as Level Red. Please care for yourself and your neighbors and safely connect through the outdoors. Connecting to the outdoors is still recognized as essential to our mental and physical health.
When visiting area trails and public lands, please follow these guidelines to ensure a safe environment for all:
With a large number of new, local trail users out, please remember to follow “Share the Trails” ethics and proper trail etiquette by announcing yourself, slowing down, communicating with others about how to proceed, and always keeping your dog on a leash. Remember, just say “hi”.
Trails are the gateway to the outdoors; please continue to follow all local guidelines and public health orders so we can all continue to enjoy the outdoors together!
Have you been enjoying our local trails more than usual while quarantined this year? Please consider donating to Durango Trails during this season of giving so we can continue to build, plan, and maintain the regional trails you love. We also have awesome merchandise to help rep your #DurangoTrailLove!
Resources:
State of Colorado Department of Public Health
Trails are the cornerstone of our community and the gateway to the outdoors.
Help support our work so you can continue to connect to the outdoors by giving to Durango Trails!
