With tourism season in full swing and travelers seeking to flee heat waves across the country, Durango was nearly bursting at the seams this Independence Day weekend.
Outdoor recreation and hospitality companies reported strong business during the extended holiday weekend, thanks in part to the seasonal swell of Texas visitors. Travel continues to grow as the COVID-19 pandemic further shrinks in the rearview mirror, according to those in the tourism sector.
Fourth of July tourism appeared busier this year than in recent years, and the summer tourism season that began in late May seems busier in general, said Claudia Foley, who works in visitor services at the Durango Welcome Center.
The Welcome Center surveys guests to learn where they are traveling from, what sorts of information they are seeking and other information about their travels. She said everyone surveyed is tallied and recorded, and 69 people were tallied on Monday.
Travelers from elsewhere in Colorado were tied with Texans for the most represented people, with Arizona in second place with 10 people recorded, she said.
Tori Ossola, general manager at the Strater Hotel, said something similar.
She said the historic downtown hotel’s core market has always been Texas, California and the Four Corners, but a Texas heat wave is driving more travel from the Lone Star State.
Therron Brockish of Phoenix said he and his wife were looking to forestall their return to the Arizona desert heat. They were in Colorado Springs last week to help their son plan his wedding, and cut through to Durango to explore the city and surrounding nature.
“Phoenix has been 112 to 115 (degrees),” he said. “So we’re just trying to get out of the area and see someplace new and explore the area.”
He said he loves Durango’s small-town feel, the mountain views and the amount of recreation available. They went hiking in Hesperus and the San Juan National Forest and even looked at area real estate.
Ossola said with July 4 falling on a Tuesday, it was hard to predict if people would travel the weekend before or the weekend after the holiday. It made it difficult to predict how busy hotels would be.
But business is going strong for the Strater, she said. The hotel was 85% booked for Tuesday evening and maintained a 95% occupancy rate through the month of June.
“We are not 100% booked tonight but we are climbing up there,” she said. “Since the day started, we have picked up some walk-ins to fill in the gaps.”
Ossola said by about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday she had picked up six walk-in reservations, an indication that visitors were mulling over whether to prolong their vacations.
“As they walk down main street, they’re deciding what to do and where to stay, and if they’re going to stick it out here in Durango,” she said. “We’ve been pushing all the activities the city has planned for the Fourth of July, which is helping people make that decision.”
Foley said a lot of tourists who visited the Welcome Center since Friday showed interest in the city’s July 4 scavenger hunt,.
The All-American Gourmet Breakfast at Rotary Park on Tuesday morning, hosted by the Rotary Club of Durango and the Daybreak Rotary Club, also garnered a lot of interest from visitors, she said. At the breakfast banquet, guests were treated to scrambled eggs, green chili, sausage, pancakes, and biscuits and gravy.
While some travelers showed interest in the drone show at the Durango Transit Center scheduled for Tuesday evening, others were hoping the city would return to the American tradition of setting off fireworks to wrap up Independence Day.
Ossola said many travelers were interested in the outdoor recreation “-ings,” such as rafting, camping, hiking and biking.
Molly Mickel, co-owner of Mild to Wild Rafting, said bookings on Tuesday were great. Every third or fourth boat headed down the river sported an American flag. Staff members and some guests wore patriotic costumes and outfits.
Mild to Wild Rafting had a diversity of guests from Australia, New Zealand, France and South America, she said. In her mind, the authenticity and Old West feel of Durango are what make the destination so fun.
“It’s a lot of people not looking for the glitz of Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge – that kind of stuff – and who are (looking more for) the authentic West,” she said.
Mickel said the most popular excursion package on Tuesday was the half-day rafting and half-day jeep tour. And a triple-hitter package that includes a half day of rafting before a shuttle ride to Silverton and a train ride back on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad was another popular option.
Equipment rentals, like tubes and paddles, were also doing well. But she said anyone putting in at Oxbow Park and Preserve were advised to take out at 32nd Street because of high waters in the Animas River.
“I’m sure the tubes will be out rolling soon. But gosh, I do worry about locals going out without life jackets and that kind of stuff,” she said. “Going down below 32nd at this level is worrisome.”
She said interest in tours to Mesa Verde National Park are up this year, too, thanks to the park being fully open to visitors, including Cliff Palace.
“Our tour includes going down into the dwelling and walking through it and climbing out the ladders like the ancient Puebloans did. I think that makes it extra popular,” she said.
River conditions are nice for rafting, too. She said Mild to Wild rafting guides were frequently putting in below Smelter Mountain Trail because of high water levels (2,210 cubic feet per second as of noon Tuesday).
cburney@durangoherald.com
