Sep 24, 2023
My wife and I went to Durango for ten days recently. She doesn't like to go off-road, but she let me have some time on my own, and I ended up doing three trails within 30 miles of Durango.
#1: Old Lime Creek Road.
This trail starts a mile or so past Purgatory ski resort, immediately after a sharp bend in US 550.
Around 1.5 miles from the start, you come to Scout lake, where there is a bit of parking space, and the trailhead to hike to Potato ("Spud") Lake.
The hike is just over a mile, and it's pretty easy.
(Except for the occasional fallen tree)
Spud lake is quiet and beautiful.
The road continues another 12 miles or so, and ends up back on 550. The scenery along the way is incredible.The road is rocky and narrow, with shear drop-offs, but otherwise not very difficult.
It would be drivable in 2H, but I used 4H because it was raining. There was one spot where a large rock had fallen right in the left wheel track. I didn't think I could drive over it without wrecking my mud flaps or hitting the rocker panels, and the trail was too narrow to go around it, so I got out and rolled it out of the way.
There was a recent rock slide that would have been an issue if it was any bigger.
I didn't meet anyone coming the other way, but there were many sections where someone would have had to back up for 1/4 mile or more to let them pass.
A year or so ago, some doofus got stuck for a week. Don’t be that guy.
It was a very enjoyable drive, not technical, and beautiful.
My rating: Easy to Moderate, depending on the weather.
#1: Old Lime Creek Road.
This trail starts a mile or so past Purgatory ski resort, immediately after a sharp bend in US 550.
Around 1.5 miles from the start, you come to Scout lake, where there is a bit of parking space, and the trailhead to hike to Potato ("Spud") Lake.
The hike is just over a mile, and it's pretty easy.
(Except for the occasional fallen tree)
Spud lake is quiet and beautiful.
The road continues another 12 miles or so, and ends up back on 550. The scenery along the way is incredible.The road is rocky and narrow, with shear drop-offs, but otherwise not very difficult.
It would be drivable in 2H, but I used 4H because it was raining. There was one spot where a large rock had fallen right in the left wheel track. I didn't think I could drive over it without wrecking my mud flaps or hitting the rocker panels, and the trail was too narrow to go around it, so I got out and rolled it out of the way.
There was a recent rock slide that would have been an issue if it was any bigger.
I didn't meet anyone coming the other way, but there were many sections where someone would have had to back up for 1/4 mile or more to let them pass.
A year or so ago, some doofus got stuck for a week. Don’t be that guy.
It was a very enjoyable drive, not technical, and beautiful.
My rating: Easy to Moderate, depending on the weather.
Laura, Deano Bronc