Budget Travel named Durango one of America’s Coolest Small Towns.

Each year, the travel website searches for towns with populations less than 20,000 that offer a vibrant community spirit, natural beauty and cultural diversity and combines them into a Top 10 list.

Durango, the only Colorado city on the list, was listed at No. 4. Beacon, New York, took the top spot.

Budget Travel praised Durango for its abundance of outdoor activities, outstanding downtown and the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

“Durango, in southwestern Colorado, not far from the New Mexico border, boasts as many outdoor activities per capita as any town in America, ensuring that vacationers have a nearly endless choice of daily activities,” the article says. “But when you’re not skiing, hiking or mountain biking, Durango’s downtown offers historical walking tours and an array of great restaurants, theater, music and art galleries.”

Herald Staff