Things to do in Durango, Colorado

Where snowcapped peaks meet the desert Southwest, Durango, Colorado pulses with natural, historical, and cultural riches. From art galleries to restaurants, 300 days of sunshine to 300 miles of trail, you’ll find college in Durango, Colorado to be learning like you never imagined. The only question left to ponder is how will you adventure?

Culture and history

Puebloan cliff dwelling at Mesa Verde National Park, one of many centers of culture and history around Durango, Colorado

With 1000-year-old Ancestral Puebloan structures tucked into canyon alcoves, 500-year-old Spanish colonial missions, and 150-year-old mining equipment dotting the landscape of the Four Corners region, Durango is the seat of some of the nation’s most prized archaeological and historical treasures.

This is evidenced in the many national parks and national monuments honoring the people who have shaped the Southwest.

Arts, food, and nightlife

FLC students hanging out at the Eleventh Street Food Station, a hub of nightlife in Durango, Colorado

It doesn’t stop with historical artifacts; the human spirit thrives today in Durango. Downtown is full of art galleries, restaurants, coffee shops, and local businesses and community organizations.

By day, the city offers cozy delights, like a bustling farmers’ market in the fall. While by night, it buzzes with music and the glow of restaurant windows.

 

Ski Durango

Ski Durango, Colorado and enjoy fresh powder and blue skies

With three ski resorts close to Durango, Colorado, you’ll never run out of fresh terrain. Rather than hitting the same slopes every day, you can choose between resort skiing at Wolf Creek, Telluride, and Purgatory, heli skiing in Silverton, night skiing in Hesperus, and all the backcountry you can imagine.

If skiing is a priority for you, you’ll find FLC is one of the best colleges near ski resorts anywhere in the lower 48. What's more, first-year students receive free passes to Purgatory ski resort.

Outdoor recreation in Durango

Adjacent to Colorado’s largest wilderness area, and two hours’ drive from the otherworldly beauty of southeastern Utah’s canyons, outdoor recreation in Durango, Colorado, is unparalleled.

Hiking

From the canyons of southeastern Utah at 4,000 feet elevation, to the tallest peaks of the San Juan mountains at 14,000 feet, wilderness abounds. You can take the dog for a walk under sandstone cliffs or adventure all the way to Denver via the Colorado Trail. There’s no shortage of day hiking or backpacking options from our Durango homebase.

Mountain biking

You can get in a quick ride on any of the hundreds of miles of trails leaving right from town, hit the alpine trails to the north, or the desert trails to the south for year-round mountain biking within an hour’s drive. People live here for years and never ride all the trails.

Rock climbing

From the crack climbing in Moab, Utah, to sport and bouldering options right in Durango, and to the ice climbing in Ouray, Colorado, year-round options keeps the climbing community busy.

 

Durango area highlights