This tale will be told in three parts and reflects the experience we had in the shop and with their…read moreguide Rob C. Background: Son takes dad on a fishing trip to celebrate his retirement. Part the first - Booking our float trip on the San Juan river was simple. Called up Duranglers, spoke with Spencer, got some preliminary instructions, gave payment for half. Took 10 minutes. Received subsequent emails, phone calls from Tom, the owner, about NM fishing licenses with relevant links and day of driving directions to the meeting location. Made navigating an unfamiliar territory seamless. Act II - Shop experience. I "needed" a new fly line. I walked out with much more! Prices were reasonable, shop guys were more than happy to shoot the breeze, and their selection was top notch. Great shop! Part three - The Rob Effect: Im a beginner fly fisherman, my dad was a first timer. I have had 10 or so guides over the last 3 years since taking this hobby up. Rob C. is tied with one other in N. CO as my favorite. He was patient, funny, and a wealth of knowledge about almost any topic. He is an unbelievably technical fisherman, his skill set and command of the rod is unparalleled. His respect for the river and the fish it contained was refreshing. I cannot recommend him highly enough! He made our trip the success it was. You will not be dissatisfied with any aspect of Duranglers!

First time visiting Durango & stopped in to get some flies & info about bank fishing a local river…read more The staff was knowledgeable about the river, patterns & colors. The store had a great selection & well laid out. I had all the time needed to wander, ask questions & even some small talk. I will definitely return next time I'm in town. Thank you.

This was our first fly fishing experience and we wanted a top notch guide. We had a great time with…read moreCole and plan to do it again next summer! Thank you San Juan Angler!

Talk about DISORGANIZED! I signed up 4 months before vacationing in the Durango area so we could go…read morefly fishing. I called weekly to re-confirm our full day guided trip. In short: 1) never told us lunch was NOT included that we needed to supply food & water. 2) never told us we would have to drive our own vehicle. 3) I explicitly gave my shoe size for my waders and they gave me shoes 3 sizes too small so I had to wear my athletic shoes in the water! Finally we had had enough and called our full day trip quits after just 2 hours on the San Juan River. After returning to their shop the manager wanted me to pay $285 for the guide fee (great guide, by the way)! I did not pay one dime for such a fiasco. We tipped our guide and left. This outfit needs to get out of the "flyfishing guide business"! REMARKABLY INEPT!

BOOK YOUR FISHING TRIP NOW!! 100%, 10/10 recommend, best decision you will make for your trip to…read moreDurango. Let Julien be your guide to fishing in beautiful Durango, Colorado. My wife and I booked with Julien, along with three of our four children, and we left from our experience with so much more than just reflecting on the size, abundance, or frequency of fish caught. We left with so much more than we ever expected and that was peace, relaxation, fun, knowledge, and a reassurance of kind, hardworking, and welcoming people in this world, because of Julien. Not only is Julien one of the most sincere, patient, and positive people we have been fortunate enough to meet in this amazing community, he is extremely knowledgeable in his craft and he taught our children so many important techniques and practices for fishing in the area and for fishing in general. From the moment we arrived, to the moment we parted to our vehicle, we were welcomed with kindness and taught the ins and outs by Julien. As we have fished in many different areas, in differing states, and for many differing types of fish, I can say that this was one of my favorite fishing experiences to date. Julien embraced and taught our children as we would, and he allowed them to experience and be involved in every step of the process, and so much more in between. It is rare to find someone who enjoys teaching children their knowledge and we are very appreciative of everything he did while we were with him. I cannot say enough great things about Julien and Go Fish Durango. We caught plenty of fish during this time, and that allowed our children to learn something new that they had been eager to learn. We could have never caught a single fish and it would have been a great experience, regardless. You will not be disappointed with your trip, and we will be booking with Julien again and again. If it's fishing in the summer or ice fishing in the winter, we cannot wait to book another trip with Julien and all that Go Fish Durango has to offer. Don't miss out on your chance to have this experience with someone who truly loves doing what they do, and sharing it with those who are open to learning! I rarely write reviews, but great people deserve recognition, and Julien is an amazing person. I am grateful to have booked this trip with him.

Amazing experience with Go Fish Durango! As soon as we got into the lake, we had fish on our lines!…read moreJulien was extremely knowledgeable and helped us catch several fish! We caught so many fish, we honestly lost count. Julien taught my son so much about fishing, and even let us hang out at the beach and swim after our fishing trip was over. We caught several rainbow trout and salmon and cooked them up for dinner that same evening. Such a great time!!

What can I say? Jeremy is a master of his craft - It is apparent from the moment you meet him. My…read moregirlfriend and I took a guided tour with Jeremy. We had the best time. Jeremy is courteous, knowledgeable, patient, and overall a top-notch teacher. If you're on the fence about who to choose, search no further - Heads Up Fly Fishing is the way to go!!

From the owner: Since 2009, Heads Up Flyfishing has been guiding people of all ages through exciting outdoor…read moreadventures on some of the finest water the Southwest has to offer. From first-timers to experienced anglers, everyone is welcome, and our dedicated guides are ready to share their wealth of knowledge with you and teach you something new. Whether you opt for a simple fishing trip or our all-inclusive package with lodging and catered dining options ranging from family-style to personal chef, you'll enjoy breathtaking landscapes, catch and release some magnificent fish, and have the time of your life forming lasting memories.

All of the staff were warm, Welcoming and made us feel like…read morethey were genuinely excited for our adventures and plans. Not only for the water sports we came to them for, but also going out of their ways to help ensure we had good solid recommendations form other activities we came to the area for. Sam, especially ... wow, I feel like we're leaving a family member behind when we leave Durango. Such a gem. Always smiling and always checking to make sure we understand all we need to know to make the best decision

Morgan helped us in our time of need! We needed hiking shoes before going to Mesa Verde (realized…read morewe were missing a pair as we were about to leave!) and Morgan showed us all our options QUICKLY! She was so genuinely kind and friendly. We will be back and we will be shopping at 4Corners Riversports from here on out! Stop in if you're in the area, their service is great!

I went in for some ski bindings, and they were super nice and helpful. So nice, in fact, that they…read moresuggested another local business might have more selection. It's so refreshing in today's world to encounter such helpfulness and selfless honesty. Even though I didn't buy my bindings here, I will definitely be a consistent future patron because of their putting me first as a customer.

My interactions with Backcountry Experience (Durango) goes back close to when their doors…read moreoriginally opened (2006?). It has always been a treat to shop at BCE. As the days of consumerism continues to move towards online shopping, it is paramount to support any local business of recognition. BCE is one of those establishments. Not only is their inventory exceptional, but their personnel is also top-tier. Their associates have the wherewithal to remediate any issue, whether it be a repair to gear or replacement (if required and possible) to selling of items that are nice to see in person. Thanks to the crew members Ethan, Crystal and Cal for their expertise!

Bottom Line: Locally owned store selling quality gear for the outdoors…read more Shortly after landing in Durango my husband realized he forgot his sunglasses so we headed to Gardenswartz Outdoors to see what we could find. The store doesn't have any glamorous displays but it was well organized with great brands like Toad & Co, Darn Tough, Prana, Camelback, etc. I enjoyed looking around while my husband picked out a new pair of Smith sunglasses. The store has gear for men, women and kids. The store is located in historic Durango so that means parking is mostly limited to street parking. We were in town on a busy Saturday so we ended up parking quite far away but it was worth it.

Great small store with high prices. Good selection of items if you happen to forget something at…read morehome or while traveling. They're located in the middle of a tourist trap, and get lots of foot traffic.

Emelia is the best river guide ever!!! She took us down in the big 16' raft with 7 of us…read morepassengers and navigated the river like a pro. She's super funny (dry humor, great wit and some hilarious group shots!) and very river savvy. We were safe and it was so fun!! We rafted on a day later in the season with the Animas river running about 200cfs--perfect for a group of with children, novices adults and an active senior. We didn't get stuck once and made it through some tight fits without even touching the boulders. "All Net!" we told her :) The Mountain Waters Rafting crew were awesome. Loved the lead guide's safety presentation that was peppered with some great humour. Punctual; clean gear; loved all the writing in the bus. Great place. Can't wait to book more adventures with them!

Relaxing, Fun, and Perfect for the Whole Family!…read more Our family (kids ages 8 to 15) had an absolute blast rafting with Mountain Waters. It was the perfect mix of relaxing and fun--just enough adventure to keep everyone engaged without being intense. Sam, our guide, was fantastic. She made the whole trip a blast with her quick humor and steady stream of bad dad jokes (which I'll admit--I appreciated more than I should've). She kept the kids laughing and made the whole experience feel easy and memorable. The photos turned out amazing, and I'm just glad we all stayed safe during Beaver Shark season. Highly recommend for families looking for a fun, light adventure with a great guide.

I have mixed feelings about this company as a Shuttle/A1 Taxi service. While my drivers were…read morefriendly and efficient, the fare was VERY expensive for what it is. For myself and partner to get a pick up from DUR airport to Pagosa Springs, it was $135-one way. We booked it weeks in advance in anticipation of Ubers being scarce. I knew it would be pricey but this seemed like the reliable option. The unfortunate part was two days before our flight into CO, Wilderness Journeys called to let us know there would be a surprise added fee of $15+ (each way) to get to where we were staying. I'm not sure why because it was a Pagosa Springs address--about 5 miles (6min drive) from town center, so I'm guessing they prefer to only drop off at the main hotels, though that wasn't mentioned when I booked the service. This increased our fare to $150 each way. If Wilderness Journeys has other passengers potentially going to the airport at the same time and you're willing to be picked up "up to 45min later," they offer to give you 20% off your fare. I opted for that to save some dough. Unfortunately the day before our trip to the airport, they told us we would have to be picked up earlier (not later) because they were picking up 3 more people. This meant we got to the airport much, much earlier than requested/planned. Another upsetting part is they only gave the 20% discount for part of our trip, not our full fare. It offset part of the hidden fee, I guess--but I still ended up paying nearly $300 for the RT shuttle service for 2. :( * Tip: Ubers from Durango to Pagosa are less than half the price and readily available, per the locals. In hindsight, I recommend ubering from Durango to Pagosa. I'd use that money saved I saved to booked the shuttle due to availability on the way from Pagosa to Durango, as it appears to be harder to reliably get an uber from PS to DUR. I would also not opt to save the $20 to share the shuttle.

We used Wilderness Journeys Pagosa Springs for a shuttle from the Durango airport to Pagosa Springs…read moreand then a second leg to a retreat center outside of Pagosa Springs. We did a return trip back to Pagosa and the airport a week later. The booking process was pretty easy and the drivers were on time and got us to and from our destinations safely. Given the length of the drive and the fact that we were going on very rough Forest Service roads for a portion of the drive, the cost seemed reasonable (especially for 4 or more people) and I was thankful to have this option. Thanks Wilderness Journeys!

Great service and experience!! Cool to be taken care of by people who truly have a passion for what…read morethey do. If you are looking for unique gifts, not only knives, this is a pretty cool place.

Our family started making this shop a must on each yearly vacation we took to Pagosa Springs! In…read morethe past 5 years the store has evolved into having an incredible amount of variety of knives, from hunting, to everyday, to kitchen cutlery - it's not just for the guys to shop! Buying my first Bemchmade knife this weekend when they are having a dealer rep in town for custom engraving! Love the owners, genuine customer service and the gift shop attached next door is not to be missed. something for everyone at this stop - it's a must in old town Pagosa Springs !