location:
High Country
best seasons:
Summer, fall
Start at Upper Hermosa parking lot behind Purgatory Resort, about 36 miles north of downtown Durango.
Go up Hotel Draw then take the Colorado Trail to Salt Creek Trail, which has an awesome descent to the west.
Ride north on Hwy 145 for a short time then turn right on Scotch Creek Road.
Head up Scotch Creek then take the Colorado Trail to West Cross Creek Trail (sometimes known as ‘Stagecoach Trail’), then down to Hermosa and back north to your starting point.
An alternative is to take the Corral Draw descent, instead of West Cross Creek.