Hiking Trails of Southwestern Colorado, Fifth Edition. John Peel
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crossing the Animas River take a right at the next light. Then quickly take a right onto CR 210, then another right onto a paved access road that leads to the Animas-La Plata intake facility. Go 100 yards and park in the dirt lot on the left (N 37 15.200, W 107 52.726, 6,520 feet). Start hiking downhill briefly to cross a ravine, then steeply uphill to the northwest. Go 1 mile to reach a nice viewpoint just before the mass of communication towers and just as you hit the access road coming from that direction (N 37 15.763, W 107 53.354, 7,560 feet).
A couple of notes on Smelter: Between December 1 and April 15 it’s only open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dogs are not allowed; this is to protect deer and elk. At all times, dogs must be on a leash to keep them from harassing wildlife. Parks and Wildlife asks humans and dogs to both respect wildlife from a distance.
Just north of the Smelter trailhead, the approximately 10-acre Durango Dog Park lies under the north shadow of Smelter Mountain, just west of the Animas River where US 550/160 crosses it. There is room for a few cars in a dirt lot near the park entrance (N 37 16.086, W 107 53.210), which is south of US 160 and just west of Roosa Avenue. It’s also possible to access the dog park from the Smelter trailhead; follow an old road north about a half-mile to the park.
Several trails, or trail systems, appear on the map on the facing page. Here is a description of most of them:
Centennial Nature Trail is used by many Fort Lewis College students because it connects the lower town areas with the college campus and the Rim Trail. The Nature Trail can be found near the junction of East Sixth Avenue and Tenth Street. Through a series of switchbacks, the trail moves up some 250 feet to the campus mesa, coming out on the west side of the campus just south of the little chapel on the rim. At this same junction at Sixth and Tenth you’ll find the “Sky Steps,” 530 steps that go straight up the mountainside and are a favorite for athletes in training. At the top, you can catch the Rim Trail.
The Rim Trail takes a little sleuthing to follow, particularly on the southern end, but you can make a complete 2.7-mile loop around campus. If you go counterclockwise from where the Centennial Nature Trail meets it, you’ll cross Eighth Avenue (N 37 16.385, W 107 52.181), go south and then northeast, paralleling Goeglein Gulch Road for a while. You’ll pass by the eleventh hole at Hillcrest Golf Club, cross Rim Drive near a three-way intersection (N 37 16.877, W 107 51.943), take a left, and then walk by the top of the city’s Chapman Hill Ski Area. (Another good way to access the Rim Trail is to come up the Lions Den Trail from Chapman Hill.)
The west and northwest parts of the Rim Trail offer excellent views over town and the La Plata Mountains across the valley.
Chapman Hill–Lions Den Trails can be reached by going northeast 0.5 miles on Florida Road from the intersection of East Third Avenue and Fifteenth Street. Park in the Chapman Hill recreation area lot. Look for a trail just north of the skating rink; that’s the Lions Den Trail (N 37 17.050, W 107 52.040). Take it about a mile uphill, then veer right at an intersection to contour the hillside (a left takes you up to the actual Lions Den and you meet Rim Drive at the golf course clubhouse).
It’s another quarter-mile south, paralleling Rim Drive just west of the golf course, to the intersection with the Rim Trail. If you take the Rim Trail west from here a couple hundred yards, you can get back down to the Chapman Hill parking area via a steep road closed to traffic.
The Animas River Trail is an asphalt and concrete route that follows the river closely all the way from the north end of town to the south end. Planning and construction took twenty or thirty years, depending on who’s counting, and it was ceremoniously finished in 2005. However, extensions on both ends and new crossings and connections remain in the works.
The River Trail is a bit over 7 miles long but will grow. On the north end, it starts at the intersection of Thirty-Second Street and East Third Avenue (N 37 17.702, W 107 52.203) on the north end of Memorial Park. A restroom open during warm-weather months and parking are available at Twenty-Ninth Street. In less than a half-mile, the trail crosses the river over a good footbridge. It continues south along the river around the east side of the high school grounds, crosses a bridge over Junction Creek, and goes behind the Durango Public Library. Then it crosses another footbridge, goes past a gazebo at Rotary Park, and heads under Main Avenue (N 37 16.838, W 107 52.701).
The trail continues behind businesses on the east side of the river to Iris Park. There, a nice bridge takes you across to the west side of the Animas River at the north end of Schneider Park and next to a skate park. After a couple blocks you cross the Animas again at the Ninth Street Bridge, then loop around and under the bridge.
Found along the Rim Trail, this metal sculpture molded in the shape of the surrounding mountains is part of the Peter Carver Geologic Overlook, a memorial for a young Durangoan who died in an avalanche in 2013.
A great view of Durango from Smelter Mountain.
After passing the DoubleTree Hotel, the trail goes under the US 160 bridge (N 37 16.125, W 107 53.150). It proceeds south along the highway about a mile to Whitewater Park, goes under another highway bridge, and crosses to the west side of the river over a rickety, wooden-planked bridge. It moves along a nice riparian area without any development for a half-mile until coming to a BMX track. (A bridge from the BMX track links to the Rivergate townhomes and Animas Surgical Hospital). The River Trail continues uphill another half-mile, and then continues on a neat cantilever over a steep section to begin its way around the Durango Mall. It again crosses the Animas near the highway, then goes past the Humane Society, Walmart, Escalante Middle School, and Home Depot before ending. Keep in mind there are numerous access points to the River Trail along its route.
Overend Mountain Park encompasses a series of hills and valleys in nearly 300 acres of wild land on Durango’s western boundary that was acquired by the city in the 1990s. The lowest point of the park is about 6,600 feet at the city boundary; the highest point is the Hogsback (see page 33) at 7,484 feet, giving a net relief of 884 feet.
There is a network of approximately 15 miles of trails, providing some good short exploratory hikes. Some trails are steep and some are gentle. Winter also can be good for snowshoeing and ski touring, although most times snow just makes a mucky mess of things, particularly in the spring. You could get lost in the maze of trails, but not badly, because Durango is always to the east of you and is visible from various high points.
Overend Mountain Park is named for Ned Overend, who is not only the first official world mountain bike champion (1990 at Purgatory), but also was one of the landowners who agreed to sell this land to the city for a decent price. Ed Zink and Scott Fleming were among the others.
The area is composed of Mancos Shale: a gray, flaky soil that is usually soft at the surface. Some places are bare, while others have piñon pines and junipers along with some large ponderosa pines.
There are several access points. A primary one is at the west end of Leyden Street in the Crestview area (N 37 17.054, W 107 53.264). A map is posted on a sign at the trailhead. One trail sticks to the main gulch, known locally as Slime Gulch, but side trails begin branching off, one immediately to the right. Other options soon branch off to the left uphill.
There is also access off the west end of Montview Parkway, and Arroyo Drive at its intersection with North Glenisle Avenue. South of Leyden, you can cross the drainage ditch at the intersection of Kearney Street and Glenisle Avenue. This route goes up steeply at first. If you explore, you’ll find other trails, and unofficial trails. Please honor private property signs.
Overend Mountain Park is very popular with mountain bikers, and hikers need to be on the lookout for sudden biker appearances around sharp corners. Bikers owe the right of way to hikers, but hikers should stay alert to their presence.