La Plata County, Colorado puts Durango at the doorstep of big San Juan mountain country, where the Animas Mountain Loop rises above town and Junction Creek heads deep into shaded forest. Farther out, the Purgatory Trail opens the way to Windom Peak, Sunshine Peak, Mount Eolus, and North Eolus, while quieter miles stretch across Endlich Mesa and toward overlooks above the Animas Valley.