Camping in Durango, Colorado
A complete guide to camping in Durango
Photo Credit: S Brennan
Overview
Durango sits at 6,512 feet in the Animas River valley in southwest Colorado, 26 miles from Mesa Verde National Park and surrounded by the San Juan Mountains. The town operates as the recreation hub for the region, with the narrow-gauge Durango and Silverton Railroad, whitewater rafting on the Animas, and mountain biking on the hundreds of miles of singletrack in the surrounding national forest.
Alpen Rose RV Park and Westerly RV Park provide full-hookup RV sites along the Animas River within town. United Campgrounds of Durango and HTR Durango Campground serve the general camping crowd with tent and RV sites. Junction West Durango Riverside Resort adds a campground and cabin option on the river. Durango RV Park operates year-round for those wanting winter access.
On the public side, Junction Creek Campground sits at the start of the Colorado Trail's western terminus, a Forest Service campground in ponderosa pine just north of town. Haviland Lake Campground 20 minutes north provides lakeside camping in the San Juan National Forest. Lower Hermosa Campground along Hermosa Creek offers streamside tent camping in a narrow valley. These Forest Service options run considerably quieter than the in-town private campgrounds and fill less aggressively on weekends than the in-town options.
Weather & Best Seasons
Best months: June through September
Summer highs reach the low 80s in the valley with cool nights in the 40s. The San Juan Mountains above town hold snow into June. Monsoon thunderstorms arrive in July, bringing afternoon rain that usually clears by evening. Fall brings golden aspens through the mountains in late September. Winter is genuine at this elevation with snow and cold, though Durango's southern exposure keeps it milder than mountain towns further north.
| Season | Months |
|---|
