Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Durango, CO
Year Listed: 2007
Nestled between red sandstone bluffs in the lush Animas River Valley, Durango, Colo., is blessed with natural beauty matched only by its colorful history. As miners began flocking to Southwest Colorado in the 1870s, the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Company purchased land from homesteaders to establish Durango's charming downtown. With the quick mining money came grand hotels, fine Victorian buildings and even a 3-story "skyscraper," all of which still stand in Durango's historic district. Along Main Ave., the big red trolley runs daily past the brick and stone buildings that still bear the names of the frontiersmen who built them. Visitors won't want to miss a ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a scenic railway that has operated continuously for more than 125 years, taking passengers on a breathtaking 46-mile journey through the San Juan National Forest to the quaint, historic mining town of Silverton. The magnificent Strater Hotel, built in 1887, remains a central attraction in downtown Durango and is a member of National Trust Historic Hotels of America. Durango is also a member of the National Trust Main Street Center program. The area's rich history predates the development of Durango by at least 1,300 years. The mild climate, fertile soils and abundant wild game first attracted the ancestral Puebloan culture around 700 AD, and some of the most spectacular and well-preserved Puebloan ruins in the United States are near Durango in Mesa Verde National Park. A paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, the Durango area offers skiing, snowboarding, rafting and kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, camping, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, backcountry and mining tours, golfing, rock climbing, live concerts, gaming and uniquely Durango events such as the Cowboy Gathering and Fiesta Days. For these reasons, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the country's largest private, nonprofit preservation organization, today named Durango, Colo., to its 2007 list of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations, an annual list of unique and lovingly preserved communities in the United States. Durango was selected from 63 destinations in 27 states that were nominated by individuals, preservation organizations and local communities. "More than 100 years ago, the lure of precious metals attracted the earliest prospectors to Durango," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "Today, visitors to this spectacular, unspoiled mountain town are still striking gold and discovering that Durango is a perfect getaway. I have been there many times and am always eager to go back.
