Durango began as a railroad town in the 1880s to serve the gold and silver mines of the Southwest Colorado Rockies. Today, it retains much of its turn-of-the-century charm in its downtown business district and residential areas surrounding the college.

The rugged San Juan Mountains and red-rocked canyonlands of the Four Corners region draw more than a million visitors a year to Durango. Within an hour's drive are four major reservoirs and dozens of high-country lakes, national parks, and millions of acres of San Juan National Forest.