La Plata County - 29 Attractions You Must Visit

Pinkerton Hot Springs are nature’s gift to the tiny town of Durango. Located a few miles out of town on Highway 550, these springs were discovered in the early 1800s by James Pinkerton. The actual spot from where the water gushes out from the earth are covered by a man-made rock pile. The water’s minerals have made the rocks colourful with time.

A majestic ski resort located in the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado. It offers 105 trails, including 5 terrain parks, over 1,500 skiable acres, and 12 lifts, including one six-person and two high speed quad lift. Facilities at the resort include condos that are rented out by their owners to vacationing tourists, a nightclub/bar at the bottom of the ski slopes by the chair lifts, a shuttle that goes back and forth from the resort to the nearby town of Durango.

Smelter Mountain is part of the La Plata Mountains range which is a subset of the Rocky Mountains of North America. Smelter Mountain rises over 1,200 ft above the town, and the lower slope of the mountain was home to the Durango smelter, hence the name of the mountain. A 1.2 mile hiking trail leads to the summit, and other recreational activities include hunting and paragliding.

The Southern Ute Museum and Cultural Center is an iconic facility highlighting the Southern Ute people through cultural, historical, and current event exhibits. It’s found in the town of Ignacio, just a thirty minute drive southeast of Durango.The building features contemporary materials reminiscent of traditional structures and fills in missing elements in design awareness across the Western Hemisphere's Indigenous architecture. The museum also houses 1500 artifacts.

Sunlight Peak, the 39th highest, is one of three 14ers located deep in the rugged Needle Mountains of Southwestern Colorado. The standard route up Sunlight Peak is from the south, known as the "Red Couloir". It is a non-technical scramble, but achieving the top of the summit block does require an exposed rock climbing move.

This is an interactive science center located in Durango, Colorado. The plant was a very early alternating current power plant, the power we use today, meaning the town of Durango had AC powered street lights before many large cities in the East. The renovated Mission-style powerhouse is a state and national historic place. Today, the original boiler room remains intact and serves as the science center's theater.

Turret Peak is the highest of three Turret Peaks in Colorado, the 89th highest peak in the state and less than a half mile southeast of Pigeon Peak. It was named because of its interesting rock faces and turrets and is the highest of the Turret Needles. The summit provides a great view of Pigeon Peak's east face and the Grenadier Mountains to the north.

Vallecito Dam is on the Pine River, 18 miles northeast of Durango. The dam is a zoned earthfill structure 162 feet high and 4,010 feet long.It impounds the Los Pinos River for irrigation water storage. The dam is owned by the Bureau and is operated by the local Pine River Irrigation District. Recreational opportunities include fishing, hunting, boating, camping and hiking.

Windom Peak is the 34th highest peak in Colorado and is part of a group of three fourteeners- Sunlight, Windom, and Eolus. The mountain was named in honor of Minnesota senator William Windom. It have a strong wilderness character; however they can be popular in summer.