Durango is southwest Colorado’s easygoing hub: a 6,512-foot railroad town on the Animas River with a lively historic Main Avenue, a steam train that still runs to the mountains, and skiing, rafting and ancient cliff dwellings all within reach.

The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad founded Durango in 1880 to serve the San Juan mining district, and the town grew up around the depot. Today downtown is a National Historic District, lined with Victorian brick hotels, restaurants, art galleries, breweries and boutiques. Stroll Main Avenue past landmarks like the Strater Hotel, the General Palmer Hotel and the Newman Block, then stop at the Durango Welcome Center at 8th Street and Main for maps and local tips. At the south end of downtown, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad still steams out of its 1880s depot toward the San Juan Mountains.

The Animas River runs right through town, with a riverside trail, tubing and rafting in summer and fishing all year. Beyond it, the San Juan National Forest offers hundreds of miles of mountain biking, hiking and climbing, plus boating on Lake Nighthorse and Haviland Lake. In winter, Purgatory Resort, about 25 miles north, offers 1,605 skiable acres, 105 trails and five terrain parks. Durango is also the base for Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with ancient cliff dwellings, and for the drive north to historic Silverton.

Insider tip: Park once and explore downtown on foot. Most of the historic district, the river trail and the train depot are within a few walkable blocks, and you can grab a coffee, a craft beer and a gallery stop without moving your car.

Winter is a great time for Durango. Skiers head to Purgatory, cross-country skiers and snowshoers have trails close to town, and downtown hotels and restaurants are quieter. The Durango Welcome Center (802 Main Avenue) keeps September-May hours of Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Check the Visit Durango events calendar for what’s on.