Durango, Colorado
Looking for the best hiking in Durango? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Durango. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.
Top Hiking Spots in and near Durango
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Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Hike the Cliff Palace Loop Trail
5.00.4 mi / 127 ft gainTickets for this tour are $4 per person and are available at the visitor center near the entrance of the park. This tour is best taken from April to November. This hike features The milky way is often visible from the top of Mesa Verde at night. This one-hour, ranger-guided tour involves climbin...Read more -
Durango, Colorado
Camp at Little Molas Lake
5.01 mi / 40 ft gainLittle Molas Lake Campground is about 1 mile off of US Highway 550 on Molas Pass just North of and on the other side of the highway from the Molas Overlook. Pro-tip: there is also another campground nearby called Molas Lake Park & Campground, so it's important to distinguish which you are hea...Read more -
Durango, Colorado
Hike the Colorado Trail: Little Molas Lake to Lime Creek
5.010 mi / 755 ft gainTo hike this section of the Colorado Trail, you'll begin from the Little Molas Lake Campground at around 10,895-ft. Little Molas Lake Campground is about 1 mile off of US Highway 550 on Molas Pass just North of and on the other side of the highway from the Molas Overlook, which is just South of S...Read more -
Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Hike the Spruce Canyon Trail
5.03.1 mi / 754 ft gainThe Spruce Canyon trail is very well taken care of. The trail begin with a descent into Spruce Tree Canyon and then follows a stream for 3/4 of a mile before climbing a side canyon back up to the ridge. The trailhead is located on the Chapin Mesa within Mesa Verde National Park. The trail is open...Read more -
Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Hike the Petroglyph Point Trail
4.02.7 mi / 698 ft gainPick up a trail brochure for information on the interpretive signs. There are some steep and narrow portions of the trail, so make sure everyone in your party is of able physical capability.Read more -
Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Explore the Far View Sites Complex
4.50.75 miThe Far View Community is located four miles north of the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum. In around 800 AD, the Ancestral Pueblo people lived in this area for several centuries. They mostly farmed the mesa tops, but were also hunters. It was one of the most densely populated regions of Mesa Ver...Read more -
Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Hike to Long House and Step House at Mesa Verde National Park
5.03 mi / 130 ft gainThis is a great opportunity to see two historic cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park within a relatively short period of time. Schedule your day around getting tickets to Long House, then taking a bit of a side trek to the Step House when you have the time. The tour begins at the Weatherhi...Read more -
Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Hike Nordenskiold Site No. 16 Trail
2 miThis two mile round-trip trail leaves from the information kiosk near Long House and Step House, and leads through and area severely burned by the 2000 Pony Fire. There's no shade on this trail, so if you are doing it during the hotter months, be sure to bring a lot of water and sun protection. ...Read more -
Durango, Colorado
Camp at South Mineral Campground
4.8Some general notes: South Mineral Campground does not take reservations - all sites are first come first served. There are an assortment of designated areas along South Mineral Road where dispersed camping is allowed so there is plenty of camping in the canyon on all but the busiest days, but y...Read more -
Durango, Colorado
Backpack to Island Lake
5.08 mi / 3000 ft gainFrom the Ice Lakes basin Trailhead, this 8 mile round trip trail with 3000 feet of elevation gain will bring you to the Ice Lakes Basin with an abundance of beautiful lakes, especially Island Lake and Ice Lake. We camped on a little shelf above Island Lake, but you can camp anywhere you find a ni...Read more -
Durango, Colorado
Upper Ice Lake
5.06.74 mi / 2464 ft gainFrom the Ice Lakes trailhead begin hiking through a meadow that quickly enters the forest and begins to climb. The trail will climb ~1,600 feet in the next two miles. As the trail climbs there is a scenic waterfall just over .5 miles, it is worth it to scamper up for a closer look (at ~1.0 miles ...Read more -
Durango, Colorado
Climb Fuller Peak
3.0Begin by hiking the Ice Lakes Trail for 3.5 miles, which will take you to Ice Lake. From here, you can identify the obvious, delta-shaped mountain to climber's left, known as Fuller Peak (13,761ft). Hike cross country, directly toward the base of the North Ridge (right skyline), walking past Full...Read more -
Silverton, Colorado
Fly Fish the Animas River
4.0While the Animas River runs for miles in the San Juan National Forest, a beautiful (and accessible) stretch runs right through Silverton, CO. Here, you can fish, hike, or chill. The river is fast with very few pockets for the trout to hide; however, if you search around enough, you'll find a fish...Read more -
Durango, Colorado
Explore Clear Lake
5.0The road to Clear Lake offers wonderful views of the South Fork Mineral Creek, and the San Juan Mountains. Some people make the 9-mile round-trip hike with 2,600 feet of elevation gain, others drive as far as their vehicle will allow and hike from there, and some make the drive all the way up. It...Read more -
Ophir, Colorado
Drive Ophir Pass
4.58 mi / 2500 ft gainOphir Pass (el. 11,114’), officially known as Forest Service Road #630, is one of the easiest of the high alpine trails in the San Juan mountains, but still can provide trouble to the inexperienced or when bad weather is present, particularly on the western/Ophir downhill side. The pass and road ...Read more -
Ophir, Colorado
Ophir Pass Road
5.09.93 mi / 1696 ft gainOphir Pass Road is a point-to-point trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Ophir, Colorado.Read more