Durango Mountain Biking
Durango is a town full of extreme mountain biking trails that loop, wind, and carve their way through woodlands, country roads and breathtaking scenery of the La Plata Mountains just west of Durango and the San Juan Mountains just north of Durango. For those seeking mountain biking opportunities, Durango will give them a ride to remember. Oil up those chains, pump up the tires and see why famous Durango mountain biking locals love to pedal their way through a variety of tough steep climbs, drops, technical single-track, wide double-track trails, gravel, dirt and even sand in all sorts of terrain like dense woods, open areas and ridges, just enough to keep intermediate to advanced riders interested. Possibly the Durango local’s favorite mountain biking trail starts in town, goes out 25th Street to the southern tip of the Colorado Trail, follows Junction Creek for a few miles, climbs up the opposite side of steep switchbacks, leaves the conifers and finally enters aspen forest where you’re sure to see an elk, deer, and maybe a black bear or mountain lion.
Durango boasts one of our Country’s best mountain biking rides, the Hermosa Creek Trail. Hermosa Creek is a good biking trail for confident novices. Most riders will take the shuttle option, beginning above Durango Mountain Resort and ending in Hermosa on 160 Hwy North from Durango to Purgatory. In between the two trail heads lie nearly 20 miles of the smoothest, most scenic single mountain biking track imaginable. There are some steep hillside traverses and some steep sections of the trail that many riders will choose to walk. But generally, the trail is downhill for its entire biking length. Hermosa Creek is one of the most popular multi-use trails near Durango, and it's not uncommon to encounter hikers, horseback riders, and even motorcycles.
Durango is famous for mountain biking racers making it their home. In fact, Durango held the first World Mountain Biking Championships, ever, in 1990. Back then, the event consisted of just cross-country and downhill events. A famous Durango local face is Greg Herbold’s, a world-class mountain biker who won the 1990 World Championship in the downhill and went on to design the downhill course for the Durango World Cup in 2001. Another famous Durango mountain biking resident is Ned Overend, fondly known as “Deadly Ned” or “The Lung.” While biking the Iron Horse Classic, you might get a glimpse of the 55 time winner as he crosses the finish line!
