Smelter Mountain Off-Leash Dog Area (Durango Dog Park)
21850 Hwy 160 W, Durango, CO 81303
Durango's designated off-leash area; dogs may roam under voice control, owners must clean up and follow posted rules.
- off-leash area
- water access
Dog Parks in Durango
Durango has a single designated off-leash area, and it is big, natural and beside the Animas River.
The Smelter Mountain Off-Leash Dog Area, also called Durango Dog Park, is the City of Durango's one designated place for off-leash recreation, a large natural tract at the base of Smelter Mountain on Highway 160 West beside the Animas River. The city describes open terrain and direct access to nearby trails rather than a fenced lawn, so it suits dogs with reliable recall more than escape artists. Rules: all dogs properly licensed, vaccinated and wearing a collar with ID tags, leashed entering and leaving, and owners clean up.
Everywhere else in the city, Code Sec. 4-41 requires a leash, including natural-surface trails such as Horse Gulch and the entire Animas River Trail, where a six-foot maximum applies and enforcement stepped up after a cyclist died in a collision with a loose dog. Reported fines start at $40 for an altered dog and $60 for an intact one. Dogs are not permitted at Oxbow Preserve, Greenmount Cemetery or the Lake Nighthorse swim beach.
Step onto San Juan National Forest land outside city limits, and voice control becomes legal.
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Questions about dog parks in Durango
Is the Durango Dog Park fenced?
No. The Smelter Mountain Off-Leash Dog Area is a large natural tract at the base of Smelter Mountain with open terrain and direct trail access, not an enclosed lawn. Dogs must be leashed entering and leaving, and the city expects reliable voice control inside.
What does Durango require to use the off-leash area?
All dogs must be properly licensed, vaccinated and wearing a collar with ID tags, per the city's dog page. Durango requires every dog in the city to be licensed through the La Plata County Humane Society, annually or triannually, with a rabies vaccination.
Where else can my dog be off leash near Durango?
On federal lands surrounding the city, where the City of Durango notes dogs are allowed under voice control, including San Juan National Forest trails such as the Colorado Trail. Within city limits, every trail is leash-only, and dogs are banned from Oxbow Preserve and the Lake Nighthorse swim beach.