Friday

6:00 p.m.
Grab a kayak and hit the Animas!  Kayaking or rafting the Animas is a great way to kick off the weekend by cooling off on warmer summer days.  If you’re looking for some real rapids be sure to start on the upper Animas! REMEMBER: The days get shorter and the nights become longer and cooler.  This means that Mother Nature is painting our beautiful mountains with colors of orange and gold. As the fall transitions to winter, you may opt to start earlier in the day on Friday. OR if kayaking is not possible, consider taking the 18-mile scenic drive out to Vallecito Lake. Stare at the water and map out your fishing strategy. Think about a Saturday snowmobiling tour.

8:00 p.m.
Wind down with a big meal and a drink of choice on Olde Tymer’s beautiful outdoor patio. You’ll find the crisp mountain air to be refreshing while you fuel up for a day full of outdoor adventures. Among all of the Durango restaurants, their patio was voted the best patio in town and we’re certain they have the best burgers in town as well!

Saturday

7:00 a.m.
Breakfast at Brickhouse Café.  Brickhouse is a café and coffee bar that’s located in a beautiful old Victorian home.  Their breakfast and coffee will be the perfect way to start your day and is sure to fill you up for a day of hiking and fishing.  After your breakfast order up some sandwiches for your hike so you can have your lunch in the mountains.

8:00 a.m.
Hike a portion of the Colorado Trail.  Colorado Trail and Junction Creek offers an excellent chance to explore part of the 469-mile Colorado Trail. This is the perfect opportunity to explore the woods and search for signs of wildlife along this spruce-covered trail. The trail follows Junction Creek and provides beautiful views in all directions. Use caution as this is a multi-use trail.

One great day in a place like Durango, and outdoor enthusiasts begin to ponder the idea of relocating to Durango. Anyone with an outdoor spirit would be tempted to glance at real estate offerings.

Saturday [ continued... ] 

4:00 p.m.
Fly Fishing in the Animas. Look no further than downtown Durango for some great fishing. The Animas River is a free flowing river that runs through downtown Durango before merging with the San Juan in New Mexico.  The Animas is known for its Gold Medal status by the high numbers of quality trout.

7:00 p.m.
Dinner at Steamworks.   Take a break from the river and relax with a nice dinner at Steamworks Brewing Company.  They’re one of Durango’s four local breweries,so be sure to try out one of their very own beers.

Sunday

8:00 a.m.
Breakfast at Oscars Café, if you like breakfast burritos try Oscar’s, its smothered in their homemade chili verde that’s delicious!  They also have some very famous French Toast! Considering the high amount of calories you burn, Durango features the best restaurants for fueling up, so to speak, before tackling every type of intense outdoor activity. You can always soothe tired muscles in the hot springs nearby.

10:00 a.m.
Finish off your weekend with a bike ride through the mountains.  Durango has some fantastic bike shops where you can rent a mountain or road bike for the day and take off.  If you’re a mountain biker, try The Hermosa Creek Trail and for a morning of road biking try the Wildcat Canyon Loop.  The Hermosa Creek Trail is one of the most popular and will take you through two steep climbs and two river crossings. The river crossings can get waist-high in the spring and early summer. The trail ends in Hermosa, about nine miles north of Durango.

One weekend to Durango, Colorado, and you will realize that you have found the ideal zone for outdoor enthusiasts. You will be back and eager to explore more options for your outdoor addiction, including skiing, horseback riding, hunting, kayaking, rafting, hiking and rock climbing....there's even ice climbing. There are are plenty of things to do in this outdoorsy town and every season has its highlights!