Hermosa Creek
The classic Durango descent: 19 miles of singletrack tracing a creek through a deep San Juan valley. The ride that put Durango on the MTB map.
Trail beta
Shuttle drops you at the Hermosa Park Road trailhead above Purgatory. The first 6.5 miles are gently descending doubletrack (ATV-legal, shared with motos). After that it narrows to singletrack for the rest of the way: still moto-legal but mostly empty midweek. Two creek crossings are unavoidable; in early season they're deep enough to soak your kit. Ride ends at the lower Hermosa Creek trailhead off CR 203 near Hermosa. Bring enough water for the full 19 miles. No resupply.
When to go
Hermosa Park Road (FS 578) opens May 1 and closes November 14. The trail is technically open year-round but the road closure makes the upper trailhead inaccessible in winter. Spring runoff (May-June) makes the two creek crossings waist-deep. Expect to get wet. Peak conditions July through October.
Shuttle
Shuttle to Hermosa Park Road trailhead above Purgatory. Point-to-point ride finishing near Hermosa, north of Durango. Without a shuttle you need a two-car setup.