We’re introducing a bus-free conference.
Initially, due to concern for having people packed in close quarters in a bus, your Durango organizing committee has explored the potential of attendees providing their own transportation. A few vans will be reserved for people who cannot drive—but having cars (we do recommend car-pooling) will allow fewer numbers at each trail head and less impact than a large bus at a given site. Having your own or a rental car, provides ideal access to Durango. There is plenty of free parking on the Fort Lewis College campus.
Coordinate with your fellow NARGS chapter member to travel together, whether it’s from the Denver, Albuquerque or Salt Lake City airport or landing in Durango and driving the 20 miles from the Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO) to campus.
Taxis and shuttles.
Three primary commercially licensed shuttle and taxi companies serve the Durango area: Animas Transportation, Buckhorn Limousine, and Durango Cab. Book directly with the company. Prices will vary.
We will likely hire Animas and/or Buckhorn vans for Friday and Saturday hikes for attendees without personal vehicles. Space will be limited, and more details to come.
In addition, there should be Lyft and Uber for airport pickup and dropoff. This will depend on the availability of drivers.
Note: there is no public transportation to and from the Durango Airport to town.
Durango has an in-town public transportation system. However, the connection from town to campus may be halted in summer (it’s summer with school not in session) when the NARGS meeting takes place. As such, don’t assume there will be bus service to and from campus.
Walk, bike, hike.
The Fort Lewis College campus is entirely walkable. Click here for a map of the campus with all of the NARGS event locations marked.
A superb improved trail extends from just outside West Hall to downtown Durango. Called the Sky Steps, this vigorous 500-step trail twists along a west-facing escarpment featuring the flora of the transition zone between the Piñon-Juniper Forest and the Mountain Shrub Community.
In addition, FLC has an extensive network of trails to enjoy. Also, here is link to Durango Trails’ interactive trail guide and maps. We highly recommend getting the book “Hiking Trails of Southwestern Colorado,” Fifth Edition (2020 updated) by John Peel. It’s the best guide out there and features detailed maps.
Durango is a bike town, and there are several bike-rental companies offering a variety mountain bikes or cruisers. Roll is a local e-bike rental service that will deliver free to West Hall or to your in-town accommodations.
About GPS.
Please don’t rely solely on GPS or apps. Tech can’t differentiate a sketchy dirt road from a main thoroughfare. Thus some horrible “shortcuts” recently:
GPS sent a 30-foot box truck up rugged 12,800-foot Engineer Pass, where it got stuck.
This holiday, GPS started sending many hapless motorists to a snow-covered seasonal Forest Service road. Search & Rescue had to extract them.
We don’t mean to scare anyone. Just use your head when making side trips. Here’s downloadable Colorado map, and you can order a hard copy.