sleeping in durango

[booya]

Hey all -I'm planning to do the CT this summer and I'm still not sure what to do about Durango! Transportation is minimal but I've found the greyhound bus that will take me back to Denver.
The problem I have is - where do i stay in Durango as the bus leaves at 7am. It looks like the only hostel in town has closed now and all the hotels are pretty expensive.
Any advice on this?

[Coffee]

Spanish Trails Inn on the outskirts of Durango cost me $75 for a simple, old, and plain room which was reasonably clean. That was about the cheapest rate I could find online when I arrived in Durango a night early. I then stayed two nights at the General Palmer Hotel downtown which was expensive ($170/night) but something I had planned for the end of my thru hike and felt was worth it given the historic property, quality of the room, and proximity to everything I might want to do in Durango.

[Ronnwell]

Spanish Trails Inn on the outskirts of Durango cost me $75 for a simple, old, and plain room which was reasonably clean. That was about the cheapest rate I could find online when I arrived in Durango a night early. I then stayed two nights at the General Palmer Hotel downtown which was expensive ($170/night) but something I had planned for the end of my thru hike and felt was worth it given the historic property, quality of the room, and proximity to everything I might want to do in Durango.

The Spanish Trails is pretty shaddy. I would look into other options and pay a little bit more.

[Coffee]

The Spanish Trails is pretty shaddy. I would look into other options and pay a little bit more.

I stayed in a room right above the management office facing the street. There definitely were some shady parts of that complex especially toward the back near where the laundry facilities were. It didn't seem particularly unsafe but I think that there might be some longer term residents staying in parts of the motel. But yeah, it was quite a contrast moving from the Spanish Trails Inn to the General Palmer the following night...

[garlic08]

I don't know if this is still a safe option, but maybe 25 years ago, first time I hiked the CT, I camped pretty near the Junction Creek TH on, I believe San Juan NF land. Then I got up pre-dawn and walked the final 3 to 4 miles into town. I hope a local will chime in whether that's a good option. It's a dirt-bag way to do it, for sure, and everyone on the bus will sure leave you alone--you'll be that scary, smelly guy. And I'm not sure if you'll be able to find an early morning diner or breakfast source on the way to the "dirty dog." I can't remember that.

[mcjohn1212]

Try airbnb.com can find rooms in $50-$60 range, but will need credit card.


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[Coffee]

There is a campground near the Durango trailhead called the Junction Creek campground. There is a short trail to the campground very near the terminus of the Colorado Trail.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/sanju...a/?recid=42998

But any thru hiker who can resist going into town at that point has stronger will power than I do!

[bearcreek]

Camping within 5 miles of the trailhead is illegal, except for Junction Creek campground.

[LuckyMan]

Last summer I paid about $45 or $48 to stay at Budget Inn on a Sunday (or Monday?) night. Another hiker I knew stayed there the night before when it was getting full and had to pay something like $75. Nothing at all fancy of course but fairly clean - I've stayed at worse Motel 6s. It was a couple of miles from the bus station but now I'm used to rising early and walking - Durango's free shuttle bus didn't run that early.

[map man]

When I finished a section hike at Durango and asked a local at the trailhead for advice on economical lodging he recommended Spanish Trails and advised to ask to be put in one of the newer buildings. I did and I have no complaints about my room or the motel. I don't know how close it is to the bus station but it is close to a brew pub where I had a good meal and beer.

[lonehiker]

I stayed at the Budget Inn last year. Reasonably priced $60.00(?) but it was borderline clean. It worked in a pinch and other places I had priced were double or more.

[Dogwood]

I've had good weather three times I went through Durango. Stealthed along the Animas River all three times and cleaned up in the river. Went to the college on the hill and paid to take a shower at the gym one time.

[Drybones]

What will temperatures be like in August?

[Poedog]

I've had good weather three times I went through Durango. Stealthed along the Animas River all three times and cleaned up in the river. Went to the college on the hill and paid to take a shower at the gym one time.

This. Take Junction Creek Rd to Camino Del Rio (main st) and there is a Rec Center just across a large parking lot. Great showers and plenty of stealth spots along the river through town. Or you could stealth on the mesa by the college chapel for a better view. Carvers Brewery for breakfast, it's two blocks from the bus stop.

[hikeandbike5]

when i finished the ct, it was raining and it was a monday (?) morning- no one was at the trailhead so I started walking. I had no idea where I was going, but downhill would lead me into town I assumed. a very friendly person who lived along the road waved me into their house, fed me and drove me into durango- dropped me at carvers where they give ct thru hikers a free beer.
spent the rest of the day walking around town and eating.
as it was getting dark, i was sitting outside the city market at the shopping center (got asked if i was homeless by some teenagers). A few minutes later a young couple offered me a place to stay for the night in their apartment.
briefly checked out along the bike path/river for stealth spots, didn't see anything too promising on first quick look. was tenatively planning to crash out somewhere at the large hill/mountain just outside of downtown before i was offered indoor accommodations.

durango was a 10/10 for me, extremely generous people, would visit again.

[Peaks]

We found Durango to be a very hiker friendly town. However, no hostel. We opted for one of the chain motels along the strip.

By the way, I recommend Yogi's book on the CT.