Part of the Colorado Trail (at High Country) System

The High Country portion of the Colorado Trail can be accessed from the trail’s southern terminus in Durango, Colorado. From this popular trailhead, you can choose to complete the short day hike/bike loop into Dry Fork or to continue along the Colorado Trail. The trail spans over 500 miles and leads to Denver, Colorado. The portions of the trail that are higher country and not directly accessible from Durango are considered high country, multi-day routes.

The iconic Colorado Trail stretches 500 miles from Denver to its terminus in Durango and is one of the state’s great recreational assets. The trail travels at high elevation through the spectacular Rocky Mountains and traverses craggy peaks, alpine lakes, and creeks amongst diverse ecosystems. The trail’s thru travelers experience six wilderness areas, pass through eight mountain ranges and top out 13,271 feet, just above Coney Summit. The average elevation of the Colorado Trail is over 10,300 feet and users traveling from Denver to Durango will clock 89,354 feet of elevation gain.

The trail ends only a short three miles from Durango city limits, allowing easy access from town. Maintenance of Colorado’s premier long-distance trail is undertaken by teams of volunteers who caretake sections. Durango Trails adopts the longest section in the state–rugged singletrack from Champion Venture Road (near Kennebec Pass) to the town of Durango.