Trail Information
Trail Name: Durango Mountain Resort
Location: Purgatory, Colorado
Date: August 09, 2015
Time at the Trail Head: 7:00 am
Trail Length: 1.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,171 feet
Elev. at Trail Head: 8,950 feet
# of Hikers Passed: 3
# of Mnt. Bikers Passed: 2
# of Horses Passed: 0
Mosquitoes: 0
Trail Research
This wasn’t trail research, but vacation research. We just so happened to be at a resort with several trails on the mountain, and we would typically get up around 7 am and take the dogs for a walk up the mountain. The scenery was spectacular and the mornings are always the most peaceful time to get out for a hike.
Drive to the Trail
This drive was a long one, from Oklahoma City, out west through Amarillo and then to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We stayed the night there before heading north into Colorado and this of course is where it became memorable. We passed through the gorgeous area around Pagosa Springs, Colorado, on our way to Durango, and then north to the Durango Mountain Lodge.
Our Day on the Trail at the Resort
We always woke up early at the Durango Mountain Lodge. It seems easy to do when you love the mountains, especially seeing them wake up when the sun rises in the east.
The other great thing about getting up early is that we always saw several deer and marmots on our hikes.
I normally don’t like to see a lot of man made structures when I hike, but looking down on the Durango Mountain Resort did look pretty.
We always took our black lab with us on our hikes, but we could never let her off the leash as she would start chasing anything that didn’t look like it was from Oklahoma.
It’s really nice being able to walk out your door and be able to enjoy the scenery and clean mountain air any time you want.
After taking our early morning hike, we would go have some fun down at the lodge. They had the Alpine Slide, Zip Line, put-put golf, climbing wall, plus a pool.
We also took a jeep ride and did a river float trip with an outfit in Durango that was a lot of fun.
But we can’t forget the horseback ride and the afternoon in Ouray, after driving the Million Dollar Highway.
Our favorite trips together as a family have always been in the mountains, and I’m so thankful that we were finally able to move to Colorado.
After a fun day somewhere around Durango, we would come back to the condo and have dinner out on the deck, overlooking the lake and mountains. I think we had every meal outside when we were there.
Of course, we couldn’t end the day without another hike up the mountains to watch the last rays of sunlight on the Rocky Mountains.
Trail / Resort Recommendations
We vacationed here twice and loved it each time. It’s such a spectacular place to visit, with so many things to do. We never rode the Durango/Silverton Railroad, but that is a must do if you ever visit the area.
Lessons Learned
Always take a nice daypack for the quick trips into the mountains. Many times we thought about taking a day hike and thought it would be a short hike, when it turned out to be a longer one, and we really needed some water and snacks.
- Dual-zippered access to main compartment
- External hydration sleeve accommodates up to a 3L reservoir (sold separately)
- Adjustable shoulder harness to dial in perfect fit
- Stretch mesh pockets on both sides of pack provide convenient storage for bottles and smaller items.
- Two zippered hipbelt pockets and LidLock helmet attachment
I would love to know if you have had any experience at the Durango Mountain Resort or have other trails you love to hike. Leave a Comment Below or send me an Email.
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Durango Mountain Resort Trail
Pros
- Fantastic Mountain Views
- Incredible Vacation Spot
- Hundreds of Things to Do
- City of Durango
- Durango Silverton Railroad
Cons
- Expensive
Hello, it is a great and nice feeling to know that someone will create a great website like this and also create a write up on an article like this. This is a beautiful location for hiking I think the weather condition suits the process too. I have one location in mind then I can go for this one.
It is a great part of Colorado to go and visit. I forgot to mention that the Mesa Verde National Park with the cliff dwellings is not more then about 1.5 hours away and is a incredible place to explore.
Rick