Animas City Mountain Mountain Biking Trails

Animas City Mountain is located at the north end of Durango and covers the entire mountain area all the way to the north edge. The upper mountain is closed from Dec 1 through April 15th yearly for Elk Calving.

Trails on Animas Mountain are very rocky and loose. These trails are technical and tiring, and are more used by hikers than mountain bikers. Bikers will find these trails challenging. The rocky climbs, technical switchbacks, rock gardens, and loose "baby head" scrabble will make a better rider out of almost anyone.

There are two main parking areas, on 32nd street with parking for upwards of 20 cars, and on 25th Street with room for 10-15 cars.

From 32nd street typically climbing Animas Mountain climb to the Animas connector. From 25th either climb Birket or Jacobs cliff (road) to Junction to the start of "Upper Animas Mountain".

There are three ways to climb the upper part of Animas mountain, none of which are easy. The west (The Swerve to Loam Zone to Dome), middle (Animas Mountain) and east side (Animas Mountain east). The west is the least steep option but mixed with steep punches and some rock, the middle the steepest and most direct typically littered with baby head rocks, and the east the most technical with rocks and multiple view points of the Animas Valley. Each offers their own unique challenge as a climb.

From the viewpoint on the north end most people choose to descend the Dome to the Loam trail to Aquila. From there you can either choose the fast and chunky Loam Zone or for flow choose the newly constructed Swerve just east. After you complete either of these for the easiest option you can take the Swerve trail east and go down into the Sailing Hawks (aka Dalla Mountain Park) area for a more technical XC style loop (typically ridden CCW). Or you can take the steep and technical "The Merv" trail into Sailing Hawks that justifies its 2x black diamond rating.

As with most trail systems in and around Durango, bring water in the Summer and Fall months. The trails can get hot and it is easy to end up far from the end of the ride without hydration. Also during monsoons it is not a place to be when heavy rains come down as flash flooding easily occurs on Animas Mountain.