Durango, Colorado

Durango is located in La Plata County in the southwest corner of Colorado. Nestled in the Animas River Valley and surrounded by the San Juan Mountains, Durango has an ideal 4 season climate with year-round moderate temperatures. Snowfall averages 68 inches in town and up to 250 inches at higher elevations. Average annual precipitation in town is 19.2 inches.

3 cultures are reflected in Durango: Anglo, Hispanic and Native American. Classic Victorian architecture as seen in some 19th century hotels and saloons (like the Historic Strater Hotel, photo on the left), complete with hitching posts downtown, give a bit of charm to an otherwise beautiful location where the great desert mesa meets the lush mountain forests.

One of the big recreational attractions in the area is Vallecito Lake. The lake offers all the opportunities of an Alpine resort in all seasons. You can enjoy record-breaking fishing, boating, speactacular hiking trails and horseback riding in summer. Colorful scenery and renowned big game hunting arrive with fall. And there's miles of cross-country skiing and snowmobiling trails in the winter.

Durango has a couple of good shopping malls, several galleries, 75 restaurants, movie theaters, factory outlets, souvenir shops, and quite a few landmark hotels. There's a bit of something for everyone.