Colorado Getaways: Durango

Glacier Club, Durango
The Glacier Club

LOCATED 18 Miles north of town on 1,100 acres adjacent to the San Juan National Forest, the Glacier Club is Durango’s only private community. Available ½- to 2-acre lots currently range from $150,000 to $600,000. Existing homes average 2,900 square feet and cost $1.35 million. Besides golf, the club offers tennis, swimming and tons of activities. Club membership ($70,000) comes with every lot or home purchase. A three-day, two-night discovery package costs $1,250. theglacierclub.com; 866-521-8575.

Glacier Club Pool
Glacier Club Pool

Play Time

NINE MORE HOLES, designed by Hale Irwin, will open at the Glacier Club (glacierclub.com) this fall, bringing the club’s total to 36 with the Irwin/Todd Schoeder Glacier 18 and Arthur Hills’ Cliffs 18.

The SNOWSPORTS haven of Purgatory Resort (purgatoryresort.com) keeps the fun going all summer with a mashup of activities (among them a ropes course, alpine slide and mountain biking) and festivals (Great American Lager Festival, Purg Jam) for the whole family—dogs included—to enjoy.

Durango purports to have more restaurants per capita than San Francisco does. Favorites include Ken and Sue’s (kenandsues.com), Seasons (seasonsofdurango.com) and Eolus (eolusdurango.com). Oscar’s (breakfastdurango.com) rocks French Toast, and The Irish Embassy (theirishembassypub.com) does the same with pub layre.

Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

What To Do

GET OUT: Durango is an outdoor paradise oozing with activities. Hardbodied single-trackers thrive on the steep Horse Gulch Trail and five-star-rated Colorado Trail. Hikers abound; so do anglers on the Animas River. And, of course, 40 miles west of town lies Mesa Verde. Before heading out, fuel up at Nature’s Oasis Market (naturesoasismarket.com). Visit durango.org for tourist information.

ON AND OFF THE RAILS: Relive history as you wind through the spectacular canyons of the San Juan National Forest aboard the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (durangotrain.com) The coal-fired, steam-powered locomotive has run continuously since 1882 and now offers multiple adventure packages, including rafting, horseback riding, ATV tours, as well as events such as Wine & Rails and the Dinosaur Train.

Durango

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ALSO SEE:View all current Golf Deals and Stay & Play Packages

This article appears in the June 2016 issue of Colorado AvidGolfer.

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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