who we are

Connecting skiers, building community, and growing Nordic skiing in Durango, CO

Who We Are

Winter enthusiasts, outdoor lovers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers. We are a community. We celebrate the solitude and stark beauty of a winter’s day. We embrace the pursuit of fitness traversing our backyard wilderness under our own power. We get stoked if it’s a blue wax day. We thrive on type II fun (miserable while it's happening, but fun in retrospect). We enjoy some of the finest scenery in the State of Colorado from our trails. And some have the nerve to say, we wear silly clothes.  

Durango Nordic Ski Club (DNSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates the Durango Nordic Center as a collaborative community, and that fosters a strong, welcoming community through cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and outdoor recreation.

DNSC is funded through program participation, trail fees, and generous donations from sponsors and community members.

OUR MISSION

The Durango Nordic Ski Club provides opportunities for Nordic skiing and other human-powered outdoor recreation to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds in Southwest Colorado while serving as a steward of our home in the heart of the San Juan Mountains.

OUR vision

We inspire enthusiasm and passion for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing in our community and with visitors to the region. We aspire to support athletes of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to strive towards their goals. We envision this unique destination in Southwest Colorado as a year-round recreational hub for trails, outdoor programs, and natural beauty.

OUR core values

Expanding Community: We endeavor to be welcoming, inclusive, and supportive to all as our community grows, to honor our deeply-rooted history in sharing the joy of Nordic skiing and snowshoeing, and to foster lifelong friendships among outdoor enthusiasts. 

Empowering Athleticism and Character Development: We celebrate the achievements of our young athletes on the Nordic team and our community members.  We encourage kindness and good sportsmanship in all of our athletes.

Connecting to Nature: We offer a respite in our growing region to deepen a connection to the outdoors in the presence of the beautiful Twilight Peaks.

Stewarding our Resources: We commit to being environmental stewards as our passion for the outdoors relies on healthy and functioning ecosystems. 

Promoting Health and Wellness: We provide the foundation for youth,  individuals, and families to develop lifelong habits to support health and wellness through outdoor recreation.

People dressed in colorful costumes participating in a snow cross-country skiing race in a snowy mountain landscape.

OUR HISTORY

Founded in 1952, we have a rich history. The Durango Nordic Center is the largest Nordic facility in La Plata and San Juan Counties, offering our communities and their many visitors a unique experience consistent with the region’s economic interest in access to diverse recreational resources. With over 20,000 unique skier visits, the Nordic Center contributes to the attractiveness of this region as a tourist destination and our overall economic vitality. 

From the beginning, the Durango Nordic community has worked together, for the good of everyone. Volunteers first cut the trails in the 1950s, and then made the commitment to take over operations of the Nordic center from Purgatory Resort in the 1980s to prevent it from closing. Our community joined forces again in the early 2000s to prevent losing the North Loop to high-density real estate development.

DNSC operates the Nordic Center in collaboration with several partners including, JM Boyce Lake Land Holdings, LLC, Purgatory Resorts, Purgatory Metropolitan District, Durango Mountain Masters Association, and the National Forest Service. This collaborative approach has been a foundation of the Nordic Center’s ongoing success and sustainability.

The Nordic Center hosted the United States National Nordic Championships in 1971 and the NCAA Championships in 1975.  The Nordic Team maintains a long history of engaging area youth in a healthy and active outdoor lifestyle.  Each winter, we serve hundreds of youth and, over the years, thousands of youth have participated in our programs leading to positive outcomes.  Examples are competing and coaching in the Winter Olympic Games, World Championships, National Championships, and National US Ski Team.  For some, this experience has helped them gain scholarships and enrollment in top US colleges and universities.  Former local Olympians that trained with DNSC include Mike Elliott, A.P. Small, Ronnie Yeager, and Tracy and Lanny Barnes.  Our area youth desiring to compete on a local, regional and national scale rely on the Nordic Center for training and hosting competitions; its existence is essential to the viability of a youth program.

DNSC provides year-round opportunities and support to develop and build individuals into respectful, ethical, and disciplined athletes and outdoor enthusiasts.

Three people in winter sports gear standing on snow with a mountain background. Two adults wearing race bibs and sunglasses, smiling, and a young girl with sunglasses and winter gear in front.
A man in winter gear and a blue jacket, holding ski poles, smiling excitedly on a snowy landscape surrounded by trees.
A female cross-country skier wearing a red, blue, and white uniform with stars, a white headband with blue stars, reflective goggles, and gloves decorated with stars and stripes, using ski poles in a snowy landscape.
Three women in winter clothing standing on snow with ski poles and skis, smiling at the camera, surrounded by snow-covered trees and overcast sky.
A young girl with long blonde hair, wearing a black sweater dress, white tights, and checkered slip-on shoes, stands with hands on her hips at an indoor gathering.
Two women smiling and holding an award trophy together at an indoor event. One woman is wearing a cream sweater and the other a blue, red, and green winter sports jacket.
A female cross-country skier in a red, blue, and black outfit skiing on snow with tall pine trees in the background.
Two people smiling and holding red and purple snow shovels in a snowy forest with trees and a sign that says "Back to Center".
Two people on a snowy landscape, one doing a handstand while the other helps hold their foot, with a mountain and trees in the background, and several other skiers nearby.
A person in a white winter suit and black gloves skiing in the snow, wearing colorful ski goggles and a headband with a cartoon cityscape design.
Three people smiling outdoors in winter, wearing colorful costumes and accessories, with snow and trees in the background. Two are wearing frog and dragon hats, while the woman in front has a dragon hat and blue fleece jacket, wearing sunglasses.
Five young skiers in winter gear posing on a snowy field with mountains and cloudy sky in the background.
Four people wearing aprons standing inside a store with decorative rugs on the wall behind them. They are smiling and posing for the photo, with a display case of jewelry and plates on shelves nearby.