Few experiences capture the raw beauty of Southwest Colorado quite like Durango jeep tours. Riding through rugged canyon terrain in an open-air 4×4, with jagged peaks soaring overhead and waterfalls cutting through the rock, is the kind of thing you’ll still be talking about years later.
This corner of Colorado has always attracted adventurers for good reason. The San Juan Mountains are dramatic, the trails are historic, and the whole region is the American West at its most cinematic. If you’re looking for a way to get off the pavement and into the backcountry without needing your own off-road rig or local expertise, booking Durango jeep tours is the move.
There’s no shortage of things to do in Durango, which is part of what makes it such a compelling destination. The historic downtown alone could occupy a full day, with great food, galleries, and the iconic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad drawing visitors from around the world. Throw in world-class rafting on the Animas River, hiking in the San Juan National Forest, and Mesa Verde National Park just 35 miles to the west, and you have a destination that truly rewards a longer stay. Colorado jeep tours fit naturally into that mix, giving you a way to see the kind of high-altitude terrain that would take days of hiking to access on foot.
After a day in the mountains, you’re going to want somewhere special to land, and Antlers on the Creek is exactly that. Our creekside Bed and Breakfast in Durango sits on a beautiful historic property built in the early 1900s, tucked into a small canyon along Lightner Creek. Five thoughtfully appointed suites, a soak in the hot tub while the sun sets behind the mountains, a homemade breakfast in the morning, and a real sense of retreat, all just a short drive from downtown. It’s the kind of place that turns a good trip into a great one. Book your stay today!
Durango Jeep Tours in the La Plata Canyon
The centerpiece of most Durango jeep tours is La Plata Canyon, a glacially carved ravine in the La Plata Mountains about 20 minutes west of town. The name comes from the Spanish word for silver, a nod to the mining boom that defined this region in the late 1800s.
What the canyon offers today is something even more valuable, at least to the modern visitor: stunning mountain scenery, wildlife, waterfalls, and the remnants of a fascinating history. It’s worth noting that most people who take a Durango jeep tour come back saying it was one of the best decisions of their trip.
Durango Jeep tours start smoothly and become progressively more adventurous as you gain elevation, transitioning from a graded road to a well-rutted backcountry route that requires high clearance and four-wheel drive. Most personal vehicles aren’t built for it, which is exactly why Durango tours with a local guide are so popular. The outfitters bring custom open-air jeeps and experienced drivers who know every switchback.
The two most prominent operators offering Durango jeep tours are Mild to Wild Rafting & Jeep Tours and Durango Rivertrippers, both of which do excellent work in La Plata Canyon.
Mild to Wild has been running Colorado jeep tours and whitewater adventures for over 30 years. Their half-day La Plata Canyon trip runs about four hours and departs in the morning or afternoon from their Durango office. The morning tour is generally the better bet if you want clear, dramatic views of the San Juan Mountains. The afternoon departure is a strong choice for wildlife watching, as animals tend to move through the meadows later in the day.
On the way up, you’ll stop at waterfalls, historic mining sites, and the remnants of La Plata City, a mining town founded in 1875. At the top, you’re rewarded with panoramic views at nearly 12,000 feet. Keep an eye out for deer, marmots, foxes, hawks, and, if you’re lucky, elk or bears moving through the high country.
Durango Rivertrippers is another highly regarded outfit for jeep tours in Durango Colorado. One of their most distinctive offerings is exclusive access to a private 25-foot waterfall on an old mining claim, a spot you simply can’t visit any other way. Their half-day tour (about 3.5 hours) climbs to approximately 12,000 feet near Kennebec Pass, with stops at ghost-towns, geology shaped by ancient glaciers, and some truly jaw-dropping canyon views.
For families with younger kids or anyone who wants a taste of the backcountry without the full commitment, Durango Rivertrippers also offers their Scenic Waterfall 4×4 Tour, a mild, family-friendly option that runs about 2.5 hours and visits three unique waterfalls in the La Plata Mountains. It’s a great intro to what Durango Colorado, jeep tours are all about.
Each season brings something different to La Plata Canyon. May and June are ideal for waterfall enthusiasts, when snowmelt fuels cascading falls and the canyon floor turns a vivid green. Late June through August is the peak for alpine wildflowers, with brilliant displays in Columbus Basin and near Kennebec Pass. September and October are arguably the most beautiful months of all, when the massive aspen groves shift to gold and light up the hillsides. Most operators running Durango jeep tours go from early May through October, so there’s a long window to plan around.
Discover the Best Place to Stay in Durango
When you’re spending your days on dusty canyon roads and high-alpine trails, you want a home base that actually restores you, and that’s precisely what makes our Bed and Breakfast in Durango so well-suited to an adventure-focused trip. After Durango jeep tours, come back to a plush robe, a hot tub with mountain views, and a property that feels like it was built to help you unwind.
What sets us apart isn’t just the physical space, though. It’s the intentionality of the whole experience: a thoughtfully prepared homemade breakfast each morning that sends you out fueled and ready, a welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel like a guest rather than a room number, and a location in a quiet canyon setting that keeps you close to everything in Durango without being in the middle of the noise. For anyone planning Durango jeep tours or other incredible adventures this area offers, our Bed and Breakfast in Durango is the ideal choice. Reserve your room now!
