Running trails in Durango, CO
Durango has 8 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 3 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, and 3 open 24 hours. 5 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 574 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Animas Mountain East Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 170 reviews
Popular hiking and biking area with varying trails and views of Durango and the valley.
Colorado Trail Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 130 reviews
Park offering hiking and skiing options, plus a public restroom.
Horse Gulch Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 124 reviews
Popular area right next to campus with a network of trails that is good for biking and hiking.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Durango
- Match the surface to your legs. Durango gives you a choice: 3 natural surface and 1 paved. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More natural surface trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 1 trail here is a loop, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Durango is Dalla Mountain Park at 20 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 3 trails in Durango are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 5 of the 8 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 6 have trailhead parking and 1 has restrooms in Durango. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 5 dog-friendly and 1 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Durango trails by type
Running trails near Durango
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.