Chapman Hill, Durango

Chapman Hill serves as Durango's in-town ski area and winter sports center.

The hill, located on the east side of Florida Road, provides terrain for beginner and advanced skiers. The top of Chapman Hill, which accounts for much of the 500 foot vertical drop, is one of the steepest slopes found anywhere. The base area, however, is gentle and just right for beginners. The area offers skiers two rope tows, an ice skating rink, and a supervised warming house with hot drinks and snacks. Both the lifts and ski hill are supervised by trained staff.

Ski lessons and ice skating lessons are offered throughout most of the winter. There are youth and adult hockey programs as well as public ice skating. Snowboarding lessons are also available. Snowboarding and telemarking are welcomed at Chapman Hill during open skiing hours.

The tubing hill is located just north of the rink. There is NO tubing or sledding allowed on the ski hill.

For additional information call the Durango Parks and Recreation office during regular business hours at 385-2950.

Durango Mountain Resort (Purgatory)

Elevation at base ...................8,793'
Elevation at summit...................10,822'
Vertical drop.........................2,029'
Maintained acres of skiing............1,200
Skiable acres.........................2,500
Longest run...........................2 miles
Beginner trails.......................23%
Intermediate..........................51%
Advanced..............................26%
Adult Daily...........................$45
Adult Half Day........................$34
Child(6 - 12) Daily...................$24
Child Half Day........................$17
Senior(62 - 69) Daily.................$24
Senior Half Day.......................$17
5 and under, 70 and over..............Free

Discounts available for early/late season. (Opening to 12/22 and 3/21 to closing.) Holiday prices will be higher than the regular season rates. Holidays are 12/23 - 1/7, 1/13 - 1/15, 2/17 - 2/19, 3/11 -3/20.
Hours.................................9 a.m. - 4 p. m.

Durango Mountain Resort is located 25 miles north of Durango, Colorado off U. S. Highway 550 in the San Juan National Forest. Annual snowfall is about 20 feet. Durango Mountain Resort's picturesque setting covers 2,500 acres on national forest service land. Its 75 trails are maintained on 1200 acres. Snowmaking equipment now spans across 33.5% of the resort's maintained acreage with snowmaking coverage beneath nine of the resort's eleven lifts (four triple, three doubles, one high-speed quad, one high-speed 6-passenger super chair, one surface lift and one Magic Carpet).

Durango Mountain Resort has cross-country skiing on 16 kilometers of groomed track overlooking the Needles Mountain Range. There are sleigh rides and snowmobiling for apres ski fun. At the resort's tubing hill, the Alpine SnowCoaster, participants are pulled uphill by a surface lift and slide down a 600-foot-long track on special tubes. The slopeside Purgatory Village Center has ski and snowboard rentals, restaurants, a small grocery store and deli, sports shop and coffee shop. There are three on-mountain restaurants. The Powderhouse serves pizzas, calzoni, soups and salads. Dante's serves grill items, burgers and family fare. The Gallery Cafe is a premier sit-down restaurant. Durango Mountain Resort offers ski school/lift packages and beginner packages for first time skiers or snowboarders and a children's lesson/lift ticket package. Some programs require reservations. For more information about Durango Mountain Resort call (970)247-9000 or visit the website at www.durangomountainresort.com

Wolf Creek Ski Area, 

Terrain:
Snowmaking: 0 Acres, it's all natural
Vertical Drop: 1,604'
Base Elevation: 10,300'
Summit: 11,904'
Skiable Acres: 1000
Average Annual Snowfall: 465 inches                      
Beginner: 20%,
Intermediate: 35%,
Advanced: 25%,
Expert: 20%

Lifts:
Triples: 2
Doubles: 2
Childrens: 1

Located East of Pagosa Springs on Wolf Creek Pass, Wolf Creek is a high alpine ski resort, 10,300 feet at the base and 11,900 feet at the summit.
Wolf Creek's six lifts service incredibly beautiful terrain, over 1,581 acres. The Magic Carpet is a moving conveyor lift for the Wolf Pup Program. The Nova Lift services beginner terrain for children and new skiers. The Dickey Chairlift services primarily beginner and intermediate terrain. The Bonanza and Treasure Triple Chairlift service intermediate and expert slopes. The new Alberta Chairlift replaces the snowcat shuttle that served the Water Fall Area. The Alberta Lift terrain is an ungroomed, exploratory outback area recommended for strong intermediates and expert skiers who enjoy varying conditions and adventuresome skiing.

Telluride Skiing

In Telluride, Mother Nature has created a majestic mountain at 12,247 feet that beckons skiers and snowboarders. From invitingly easy to incredibly steep, you'll discover more than 3,500 vertical feet of naturally divided terrain and not a lift line in sight. Steeps and glades, untracked and groomed, big riding and sweet pipes; we offer it all. An average snowfall of 325 inches, more than 300 days of sunshine, crisp, clean air and amazing alpine panoramas. http://www.telski.com/index1.html

Cross-Country Skiing

Hillcrest Golf Course, Durango

Hillcrest Golf Course is open to the public for cross -country skiing pending adequate snowfall. It is conveniently located on College Heights overlooking the town of Durango. Cross-country skiers enjoy sights of the surrounding mountains and hills while skiing on a combination of flat and rolling terrain. There is no charge to cross-country ski at this course which is sponsored by Hillcrest Golf Club but donations are appreciated. Entrance is at the end of Sanborn Place off of North College Dr. Skiers are asked to ski on the well marked track. (Please, no dogs on the course.)

Pine River Valley Nordic Ski Club & Trail

10 kilometers of groomed trails on the east side of Vallecito Lake. Free to the public. Donations appreciated. (970) 884-9782

Purgatory Nordic Center

1 Skier Pl. Lessons, rentals, 16 km of cross-country ski trails. (970) 385-2114.