While Durango, Colorado is best known for its old-time steam engine train rides on the Durango and Silverton narrow gauge railroad, it is also home to a 529-step stairway. The stairway connects Durango’s historic downtown residential district with Fort Lewis College, 250 feet or so above on a bluff overlooking the community.
The 9:15am train steaming up and getting ready to pull out.
Not all wandering adventures have to be extremely exotic or particularly significant, some like in this blog post can be as simple as following up on something you may have read or heard about. In my case, as someone who likes to explore public stairways, I put the Durango Sky Steps on my radar scope to check out as soon as I heard about them a few years ago. And finally two weeks ago, my dog Sparky and I found ourselves in Durango, Colorado with sufficient time to check out the Sky Steps.
The Sky Steps begin at the base of the bluff at the intersection of East 10th Street and 6th Avenue. The first step is only about a mile away from where you catch the steam engine ride and just a few feet from the starting point of the Durango’s Nature Trail. The Nature Trail, too, works its way to the top of the bluff and crosses the steps several times along the way.
The first step at the intersection of East 10th Street and 6th Avenue.
What’s great about this stairway is that you don’t have to count the steps. They’ve already been counted!
The combination of trail and steps provides a great opportunity to make your journey a loop of taking one up and the other one down. On a very nippy 28° March morning, we saw over two dozen people running up the stairs and then continuing their run down the path. In addition to runners we met at least a dozen or more people walking their dogs up the steps. And then there were people actually using the stairs to get up to the college or down to town. Regardless of why they were there, it was great to see the trail and steps being used!
Here’s one of the several places where the trail and stairs cross paths.
And here’s a little wired-hair terrier just making it to the top.
As you can see the stairs are relentless. That’s Sparky up ahead.
But when you stop to catch your breath, you’ll have great views in all directions.
And again, the stairs don’t seem to quit.
And when you look down the steps, you can see why the they’re easier to climb than to descend.
But you finally reach the top. The top is right up ahead.
And there it is – the final step # 529!
And when you reach the top, you can ring out your achievement on the chimes up ahead.
And when you turn around, you’ll be looking down on Durango.
You’ll have great views and even some benches when going down the trail.
If you pay attention you might notice the brilliant colored lichen on the oak trees.
Back on 6th Avenue, you’ll run into these whimsical stacked rocks at the bottom of the Nature Trail.
The steps themselves were a joint effort between the City of Durango and Fort Lewis College and were built by volunteers. They opened in June 2017, and unlike many wood beam and packed gravel stairways, these steps were in pristine condition. We did not notice any signs of erosion or any unstable steps. Even better, the steps had the perfect height and depth for comfortable stepping or running.
So if you like climbing stairs or just want to check out how a community can take advantage of its natural landscape to create a great public space, the Durango Sky Steps are well worth checking out. In fact, Sparky and I checked them out twice. Once going up the stairs first, and the other going up the trail first. Both were a good workout with great views on top and along the way.
March 19, 2025 at 9:38 am
David, We did the stairs back in the summer of 2018 I think. It was beautiful with all the blooming and not crazy hot. Your post reminded us and we will get back there for the full spring display just around the corner.
Your photos were a big plus.
March 17, 2025 at 9:56 pm
Great story. I had never heard of the Durango Sky Steps. Excellent find.