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Fall in the San Juans

Fall is the perfect time to hit the trails. Flowing along to the sound of golden aspen leaves under your tires or shoe tread; being outdoors rarely feels so good. There are notes of summer and hints of winter, and nothing beats being outdoors surrounded by the golden, red, yellow and green hues.

Durango Trails recommends several special places to best experience this pumpkin-spiced time of year:

Animas Mountain
Start at the trailhead on 4th Avenue, and take this 6 mile round-trip hike through the forest and up the mountain for a great view of the valley. The mountain bike, trail running and hiking trails provide a stout climb to the top, where the view from Animas Mountain into the Falls Creek Valley provides a great vista of fall colors.

Missionary Ridge
While a popular hunting area (make sure you’re decked out in blaze orange), Missionary and Steven’s Creeks embrace you with the beauty of fall. Plenty of trees abound, whether on Red or First Fork, and will tantalize leaf peepers with abundant fall colors. Check this link for more info.

Hermosa Creek Trail
While the 416 fire left its mark in the Hermosa area, the remaining trees and oak brush still provide beautiful views of fall colors along Hermosa Creek. Start with an out-and-back from lower Hermosa, or drive up to Purgatory and enter from upper Hermosa Park Road. You may encounter standing water along the way. On your way up, you can also take a detour to the Cutthroat Trail at the intersection of Relay Creek and Cascade Divide Road.

West Cross Creek
Many a local’s favorite ride is the climb up Hotel Draw Road combined with the descent down West Creek Trail back to the Upper Hermosa parking lot. The trail is a windy single track with incredible views across the aspen-covered valley.

La Plata Canyon 10.02.22

August Trailwork Dates Announced!

It’s nearing fall and if you haven’t given back by volunteering or donating, the time is now. August trailwork will take place on the 17th and the 31st. Click on the links below for more information:

https://www.durangotrails.org/volunteer/

Wednesday, August 17 from 5 to 7pm at Big Canyon Sign up HERE

Wednesday, August 31 on Animas Mountain from 5p to 7pm Sign up HERE

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July Volunteer Trailwork Dates Still Available!

There are two upcoming trailwork dates for July and we would love to have you join us! Click on the dates below for sign-up details:
 
1) Dry Fork on Saturday, July 23 from 9am to 1pm

2) Log Chutes on Wednesday, July 27 from 5p to 7pm

Please wear/bring closed-toe shoes, long pants, shirts, a sunhat, a backpack for water, work gloves, and sunscreen. The Crew Leaders will provide all tools and instruction.

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June Volunteer Trailwork Dates Announced!

There’s something magical about being outdoors. Fresh air, birds singing, moving along a trail or even just around the block – there’s nothing quite like it. Today, those trails and public spaces are in dire need of help, and not everyone has access to these places that calm and inspire. National Trails Day® is the perfect opportunity to get out there with the people you love, give back to the trails that bring us together, and make sure nobody is left out.
 
Connect with the people near you who share your love of being outside. Build your local community and join the nationwide movement to give back to the trails and make sure everyone can enjoy the outdoors.
 
Trails Day is this Saturday, June 4. Partnering with the Bureau of Land Management and the City of Durango, we will construct a new trail on Animas Mountain called the Lupine Loop. Volunteers will meet at the Animas Mountain trailhead and then hike one mile to the work site, working from 9am to 1pm followed by lunch. The crew will provide all instruction, tools and details. Please bring/wear long pants, closed toe shoes, sunhat, sunscreen, gloves, and a backpack to carry water and snacks.
 
Click here to sign up. If you’re interested, you can also take the National Trails Day pledge here:
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Thank You to Our Sky Steps Volunteers!

Pent-up desire to participate in volunteer events has produced incredible early-season support!

Special thanks to the 8th-grade students and teachers at Miller Middle School for their support in maintaining the famous Sky Steps.
Durango’s Sky Steps officially opened in June 2017, creating a town to sky connection from Durango to the Fort Lewis College campus, home of the Skyhawks.
Over 500 steps gaining over 250 feet in elevation along the Nature Trail in Durango make for a wonderful walking route, commute to the college, or training steps right in town.
In partnership with the City of Durango and Fort Lewis College, the steps were built entirely by Durango Trails volunteers and crews.
Durango’s Sky Steps are amongst various urban stairs that have long been recognized as fitness and tourist destinations, including the Manitou Incline near Colorado Springs, known as one of the most popular and challenging hikes in the area, and the iconic Santa Monica stairs in Los Angeles.
 
For more information, visit:
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Durango Trails Working on Animas Mountain

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. 

Logging Operations in Log Chutes

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.

Support the trails that connect you to the outdoors

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!

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The trails you’re about to enjoy wouldn’t exist without our year-round work to plan, build, and maintain them.

And we wouldn’t exist without your support!

Please consider financially contributing to help us continue to build and maintain great trails.

Great communities build great trails and great trails build great communities.