Discover Durango!

This ride is a fixed-base or semi-fixed-base ride, please read the ride description for more details.

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $150 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

OVERVIEW: Join us for a spectacular cycling experience in Durango, CO

The Discover Durango tour is an 8-night, 7 full day (including one off-day excursion) fixed-base tour based in historic Durango, Colorado. There will be no van sag support.

Durango was founded in 1880 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad to serve the gold & silver mining district in the San Juan Mountains.  Durango is in the southwest Four Corners region, where the corners of CO, AZ, NM, and UT meet. The Four Corners are part of a larger region known as the Colorado Plateau. Because of its unique location Durango offers the best of both worlds: Rocky Mountains and canyon country. In every direction we will see stunning views of the San Juan Mountains. Close by in canyon country is Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This park is home to some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings in the country.  

The tour starts with an introductory meeting at Springhill Suites on Monday at 5pm, followed by a group dinner. There will be at least one suggested ride for each day. Tuesday  morning will be a shakedown ride (short & long option) followed by a late afternoon visit to Durango Adventures for a 12-station zipline. 

Wednesday or Thursday morning will feature a 3-hour train ride on the famous Durango Silverton Narrow-gauge Railroad, aka: The Iron Horse, to the mining town of Silverton.   Lunch is on your own with an optional visit to the San Juan County Historical Society Mining Heritage Center (highly recommended). Our bicycles will be transported from Durango to Silverton (9,318 ft) so that riders will have the option to cycle 50 miles, descending Molas and ascending & descending Coalbank mountain passes, back to Durango. 

RIDE RATING: The ride is rated 2B. All the routes begin and end in Durango so all rides are optional. Most of the cycling is on state highways, county roads, quiet country gravel roads  and along the Las Anamis River Trail. All riding will be at altitudes of 6,500 ft. and higher.  No cell phone reception is available in many mountain areas. On some state highways traffic may be heavy but shoulders are present. Cyclists should be comfortable riding in these conditions. Some routes will be on gravel roads. Not all routes have been scouted but scouting will have been be completed by July 2026.

An optional ride from Silverton to Durango ascends/descends Molas and Coalbank mountain passes. This 50.4 mile route ascends 3,180 ft. w/ a max. 10.8% grade the initial 14 miles. It then descends 3,812 ft. w/ a max 9.8% grade from mile 14 to mile 35 plus another 2,387 ft. from mile 23 to mile 50! This route down Molas and Coalbank mountain passes has intermittent road shoulders; therefore, cyclists must be comfortable riding long mountain pass descents with traffic! For visibility bring front & red tail-lights. Inspect your tires, brakes & pads BEFORE arriving in Durango!

GPS FILES:   Maps and RWGPS route files will be provided in advance of the tour. Participants who want printed cue sheets can print them from the RWGPS files. Most routes will have striking views of the San Juan Mountains or canyon country. 

WEATHER: Fall days are cool and dry. The average day temperature is 65 degrees and 45 degrees at night. The average rainfall during September in Durango is 1.5 inches.

LODGING AND MEALS: We will stay at Springhill Suites by Marriott, 77 Mercury Village Dr., Durango, CO which is 3 miles south of historic downtown. The hotel is adjacent to the Las Animas River Trail. The rooms have a small refrigerator but no kitchenettes. A laundry room is available for use. Hotel parking is free. All breakfasts, 2 group dinners and 5 Social/ Happy Hours will  be included in the tour.  Lunches will be on your own.

LOGISTICS: The tour starts at 5 pm on Monday, Sept. 14th  at the Springhill Suites hotel, Durango, CO and ends after breakfast on check-out day Tuesday, Sept. 22nd. 

 Durango is located at an elevation of 6,500’. If you live at or near sea level it’s wise to arrive a day or two early in order to acclimate. United Airlines and American Airlines have flights to the Durango Airport (DRO). Transportation to/from the airport to Springhill Suites is 12 miles. Transportation is available via taxi or Uber.

Drivers and vehicles are required to transport participants (excluding bikes) to the Zipline, the Railroad Station, and Durango Hot Springs.  The longest shuttle distance is 12 miles RT.  Backup transport arrangements will be made if not enough participant vehicles are available 

COST & ADMINISTRATION: The ride cost is estimated to be $2,250 per rider (plus an $85 Registration Fee.  The $1,125 deposit is due within 7 days of being accepted onto the ride. The final payment of $1,125 will be due May 1, 2026.

Tour fees include: 

8 nights lodging & breakfasts, 2 group dinners, and 5 happy/social hours. 

Train excursion to Silverton.

Full day guided tour at Mesa Verde National Park including a ranger led cliff tour.

Durango Hot Springs entry.

A 12-station Zipline with Durango Adventures. 

There may be van support if participant provided transportation is insufficient to group excursins. However, there will be no sag support.

EXCURSIONS : Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Train. Afterwards, visit the 12,000 sq. ft. Roundhouse Museum in the back of the train yard on your own. 

Durango Hot Springs. What’s better than taking a hot soak to soothe aching muscles? We will visit Durango Hot Springs following a ride, 6-9pm. Spa menu offers facials and massages (dhsresort.com) which can be booked on your own in advance.

Mesa Verde National Park. This National Park showcases the incredible beauty of the Four Corners region. For a deep dive into ancestral pueblo history, we will take a ranger guided cliff-dwelling tour.

Durango Adventures and Zipline Tours (12 ziplane stations). DurangoAdventures.com 

BIKES AND BIKE RENTALS: All bikes are welcome (road, e-bike, gravel, tandems) but gravel grinders are ideal. Some of the most scenic routes will have sections on hard pack dirt & gravel roads. Tire width should be 32-40mm with 40mm the better option. Road bike rentals are  limited as Durango is mountain bike country. Participants will need to make their own arrangements for rentals. Two options are 2nd Ave Sports, luke@2ndAveSports.com and Pedal the Peaks, ptpdurango.com. The earlier you make rental arrangements the better.

SOLOS & SINGLES: A single is a member who signs up by himself or herself and wishes to share a room with another participant.  A “solo” is a member who signs up by himself or herself and does not wish to share a room. It is recommended that singles who want a roommate try to find their own.  However, after receipt of the initial deposit, a single rider without a roommate will be placed on the ride and given until May 1, 2026 to find a roommate. If they are unable to find a roommate, they will have the option to receive a full refund (minus the BAC Ride Registration Fee and Payment Processing Fee) or pay the Solo Supplement and stay on the ride. If a single pays the supplement, they may continue to seek a roommate but must plan to participate without a roommate if necessary. The Ride Leader will assist by attempting to match singles who apply for the ride

A solo supplement for singles who do not wish to share a room is available for an additional $770. This payment is due by May 1, 2026 and may be mad eby either check or Zelle. Make checks payable to “BAC” and mail to Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193. Send Zelle payments to treasurer@bicycleadventureclub.org. Indicate the ride name when using either method.

HEALTH & SAFETY: Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and ready to ride. Should someone's health become compromised and the group’s health and safety placed in jeopardy, a plan will be developed by the ride leader(s) and communicated to all individuals. The expectation is for the group to work together to mitigate any spread of infection or illness as a means to ensure the tour can continue as planned. 

CANCELLATION POLICY: The $85 BAC Ride Registration Fee and Payment Processing Fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is canceled because the number of participants registered is less than the minimum established for the tour. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional costs resulting from cancellations. If the canceling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the canceling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the canceling roommate may also be liable for the solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance. 

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY: Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers and that successful tours depend on participants providing most of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

INSURANCE: 

BAC maintains two insurance policies: a) United States, and b) Foreign (all other countries).  Both the U.S. and Foreign policies are considered secondary policies to your personal medical insurance policy.  They are subject to a $1000 deductible and may not cover all expenses related to an accident. Copies of the current policies are located under the 'Docs' tab on the BAC website.

Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient.

While touring in the U.S, the BAC insurance includes coverage for injuries due to accidents during the bike trip. Members’ personal insurance will need to cover medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected illness (i.e., treatment for unexpected illnesses, including Covid, are not covered). 

SIGN UP: To register for this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go to the BAC site to digitally accept the terms of the Release of Liability (ROL), pay the Tour Deposit and, the non-refundable BAC Ride Registration Fee by credit card. There is $85 ride fee. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Director by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description.