High Country Trails
Engineer Mountain Trail
Engineer Mountain is a favorite hike or ride that is well marked and in close proximity to Durango, making it quite well-used in the summertime.
Engineer Mountain is the prominent “double” cone which can be seen when driving northbound on Highway 550 beyond Purgatory in the San Juan National Forest.
- Length
- 9.2 Miles
- Climb
- 3600 Feet
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- From Durango
- 34 Miles
Getting there
Coal Bank Pass / Engineer Mountain Trail Parking. Begin at Main Avenue and 9th Street, then go west on 9th Street, toward Camino Del Rio (Highway 550). Make a right onto Camino Del Rio (HWY 550) and continue north on Hwy 550 past Purgatory Resort toward Silverton. Coal Bank Pass is 35 miles north of Durango, 13.5 miles south of Silverton, on Hwy 550. Slow down after mile marker 56 (it’s between mm 56 and 57), and you will see a parking spot and restroom facility on the east side of the road at Coal Bank Pass with a pull off spot with restroom facilities (but don’t park there). Instead, there is a dirt road to the west which is close to the trail head (opposite the rest area) with a small parking spot; it is hard to see, so slow down. You will see the trailhead heading north from the parking lot; start there. Make sure you have plenty of water, warm layers, and rain gear. It should take 4 hours to casually hike up and back.
Where it starts
The pin marks the trailhead. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Trail layout
The line is the mapped path. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.