While Animas City Mountain may be accessed from two locations, this counterclockwise loop starts at the West Fourth Avenue Trailhead. The route heads northeast along the perimeter of the mountain, turns northwest to reach the crest and descends south, taking in four overlooks along the way.
Given its ready access, sterling views and pleasant uphill grade, the Animas City Mountain 6.2-mile loop is the local, multi-use favorite. Runners zip around after work, mountain bikers happily relish the singletrack’s stoney challenge and neighbors convivially amble with their dogs. After all, this is Durango’s in-town mountain.
The lower flanks, including Dalla Mountain Park, are within city limits. The upper mountain is U.S. Bureau of Land Management property.
Let’s go take a peak!
Pack water, snacks and a camera for a walking tour of the mountain. It will be easy or moderate for most, taxing for a few, but the views of town and the surrounding terrain are sure to surprise and delight everyone.
From the trailhead at 6,700 feet, pass by the gate and immediately come to a signed junction. Proceed straight ahead, avoiding the trail on the left. The treadway, edged with agave and prickly pear, climbs through a piñon-juniper and Gambel oak forest. Although much of the loop trail utilizes a rather steep old road cut, Trails 2000 created and maintains the welcoming switchbacks on the east side.
At 0.7 mile, turn right. At 1.0 mile, briefly leave the path and follow a social trail a few steps to the right. Sandstone slabs overhang the mild precipice. Durango viewpoint not only shows off the city, it offers a startling contrast between ever-so-straight Main Avenue and the sinuous Animas River.
The mountain has bountiful enchantments for those who like to explore. In this region, well below the viewpoint, is a cave. Come back and find it! A chain of sandstone adorns the lower east slope. X-Rock is a favored crag in the array of slab, crack, top rope and bouldering options. Notably, the east slope carries an ancient grove of stately Rocky Mountain junipers. Some may be 2,000 years old.
Back on the trail, at 1.3 miles, pass a venerable log with a tightly spiraled trunk. Wildlife sightings in this area include cougars and bears. Be aware. Sure, there are deer, but your chances of seeing them are better in your own yard.
Turn right at the next two junctions. The upper mountain is park-like after the completion in 2010 of a two-year Urban Interface Fuels Mitigation project by the BLM.
At 2.6 miles, 8,000 feet, arrive at the San Juan Mountains overlook, unmistakably marked by a stately, bygone piñon. If your timing is right, you can see and hear the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad chuffing alongside U.S. Highway 550. The San Juan view wedge spans Engineer Mountain, the Twilights and Mountain View Crest. Missionary Ridge defines the valley’s eastern boundary. A prominent rockfall occurred in 1997 and has been widening ever since.
Leaving the overlook, the uphill trail turns northwest. Stay right at a juncture with the Mid-Mountain Trail at 2.8 miles. Traverse through a mature ponderosa forest. In the spring, the entire upper mountain is carpeted with sunshine-yellow mule’s ear. Then the lupine, penstemon and paintbrush practically take over. Golden eye is profuse in autumn.
There are two comparable high points on the north edge of the mountain. The USGS designates the second rise as the true summit. So, at 3.5 miles, turn right onto a social trail that leads to the top. Go ahead, get a little giddy about living in a town with a backyard 8,161 feet high. While it is common to drop “City” when referring to this eminence, its true and proper name is Animas City Mountain.
And now for the La Plata Mountains observation point. Return to the main trail and descend for 0.2 mile to a sandstone outcrop on the west side of the mountain at 8,100 feet. The community of Turtle Lake is tucked in below. The east massif of the La Plata Mountains spans from Bald Knob to Peak 12,101. The tallest peaks are Silver Mountain and Lewis Mountain.
It’s all downhill from here. While the track levels briefly in a meadow, most of the descent utilizes the old road which can be steep and rubbly. At 5.6 miles, the Mid-Mountain Trail comes in on the left. Keep going. You may take any subsequent left turn to get back to the trailhead. However, the full loop route continues on. Views of Perins Peak and the Hogback are revealed.
At 5.9 miles, six trails converge. Study the sign. To complete the loop to the trailhead, go under the power lines and take the second trail on the left/east. This final 0.3 mile segment is the steepest with a scrabbly surface. Keep in mind, two paths head northwest into Dalla Mountain Park’s world of boulders. The town’s green water tank is south. If you are returning to the Birket Trailhead, 0.5 mile southwest, take 20 steps on the water tank trail and then veer off right.
Follow the advice of Dr. Seuss. Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So ... get on your way.
Animas City Mountain is subject to a winter wildlife closure. The closing date is fluid; it has everything to do with snow depth in the higher elevations and the subsequent migration of deer and elk. Typically, the mountain is closed to public entry starting in early December and re-opens by April 15. A 1.5-mile loop on the lower mountain may be accessed year-round via both trailheads and Dalla Mountain Park. Closure signs are posted at the trailheads and on the mountain. Current trail conditions may be found at www.trails2000.org.
Trails 2000 is a Durango-based volunteer organization with a 25-year history of planning, building and maintaining trails. Durango is surrounded by a diverse array of public lands. This advocacy group focuses on providing access and connectivity inside the town and out into wild places.
Alternative Hikes: This loop may be enjoyed in either direction. Solitude is generally guaranteed on the Mid-Mountain Trail. Dalla Mountain Park, frequented by bouldering enthusiasts, has many interlaced, relatively level trails. To access the Birket Trailhead, drive west on 25th Street passing Miller Middle School. Birket Drive is the first right after Four Corners Health Care Center. The trailhead is well marked.
http://debravanwinegarden.blogspot.com. Debra Van Winegarden is an explorer and freelance writer who lives in Durango.
Animas City Mountain trail basics
A loop hike up and around Durango’s in-town mountain on a good trail. It offers multiple panoramas of town, the Animas River Valley and two mountain ranges.
Travel: From downtown Durango, drive north on Main Avenue to 32nd Street. Turn left/west and drive three blocks to West Fourth Avenue. Turn right, and go two blocks to trailhead parking.
Distance and Elevation Gain : 6.2 mile loop; 1,565 feet of climbing.
Time: 1 hour for a snappy runner; 3 hours allows for a leisurely walk with scenic pauses.
Difficulty: Rocky trail and old road; navigation easy; no exposure.
Maps: Trails Illustrated: Durango No. 144; Trails 2000 interactive map: www.trails2000.org.
