Perched with amazing scenery of the majestic San Juan Mountains, Durango Mountain Resort, formerly known as Purgatory, is a family-friendly ski resort perfect for someone who craves dry, light powder, few crowds and a down-to-earth atmosphere. Fantastic snow conditions, sleigh-rides, snowmobile tours and miles of cross-country wilderness abound. Terrain park enthusiasts can enjoy the Paradise Terrain Park, which features a 400-foot halfpipe, jumps, rails and drops and Pitchfork Terrain Park featuring rails, tabletops, gaps and big air jumps.
Durango ski resort enjoys the most reliable ski conditions in the southern Rockies, more than 38 miles of groomed skiing, and great ski weather. You'll delight in the Kids Ski Free Program, kids 6 and under, as well as half-price beginner lessons for all first-time skiers or snowboarders age 13 or older.
If Durango sounds the perfect ski vacation destination for you and yours, start the booking process today. You can begin by using searching our online Durango lodging inventory. Use the filters to narrow down the options based on your budget and preferences. You can also book your flights, ground transfers, lift tickets, lessons and equipment rental online. Or if you'd prefer, leave the heavy-lifting to Ski.com's knowledgeable Mountain Vacation Specialists. They can help youand customize your ideal Durango accommodations, air travel, ground transportation, lift tickets, ski or snowboard rentals, activities to events around town and more
Call or chat now with one of our Specialists.From air, lodging and excursions to ground transfers, lift tickets and equipment rentals, We will manage all your trip components so you and your group can get the most out of your time playing in the mountains and building memories that will last a lifetime.
Great Family Resort
We went to Durango Mountain Resort over spring break. Despite the fact that all of Texas seemed to be there, it did not seem overcrowded on the mountain or at the base restraunts. The mountain is very nice for all level skiers and has a good many green and blue runs for families to enjoy together.
My oldest daughter has Down syndrome and we were able to enroll her in the Adaptive Ski Program where she had a terrific experience and greatly improved in her skiing ability. Our youngest took 2 days of group lessons which were my only complaint as she had 14-15 kids in her group each day!! About the only thing she learned well in those two days was to stop since everyone had to stop every time someone in the group fell. She is an excellent stopper, so were were able to take her to the top of the mountain with us on day 3 skiing green and blues.
Durango is a little lower altitude than many of the CO resorts so we felt the effects of altitude less. The snow conditions were not as good as a higher altitude resort, but it's hard to complain when there were no bare spots showing and you are skiing in 40+ sunny degrees!
Ski and Steam
I don't know how I managed to pick the perfect week for this trip when I booked it months ahead of time. We got 30 inches of snow the first 3 days, blue bird skies the next 2, then another 6 inches. We stayed at the Purgatory Village Condo/Hotel (a 1 BR unit) which was just steps to the lifts. The hot tub on the roof offered awesome views of the San Juan mountains. There were no crowds on the slopes even on the Friday before President's Day. We took a ski clinic for $50 each which turned out to be a great value because we were the only 2 in the group.
The only reason not to recommend it to "young singles" is because there is no nightlife on the mountain and only a little in downtown Durango.
Mid-week (on a clear day) we took a ride on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. That was spectacular! We have been several times in the summer, but never in the snow. The air was crisp and the steam was much more impressive in the cold. The scenery seems accentuated by the snow.
When we went out to dinner we enjoyed Ken and Sue's in the Durango historic district and the Sow's Ear in the Needles community just a mile south of DMR.
All in all, a great trip! Many thanks to Hugh Hoy of ski.com for helping me.