Entry No. 69 — the Durango file — filed under: outdoor
Durango Adventures Axe Throwing
Billed as Colorado's only outdoor axe-throwing operation, this is a set of four regulation cages set into a Ponderosa pine mountainside about a mile west of downtown, with views toward the San Juans. Staff hand you the axes and walk you through technique, and you're welcome to bring your own drinks. The same outfit runs a 12-line zipline canopy tour and a 45-foot adventure tower with a free-fall device, so you can stack adventures.
The story
Most axe-throwing spots lock you inside a windowless suburban warehouse next to a strip-mall vape shop. Durango Adventures did something considerably stranger: they built four regulation throwing cages directly into a Ponderosa pine mountainside off Highway 160, exactly one mile west of downtown Durango.
The setup is simple, concrete, and distinctly Southwestern. You stand on mountain dirt aiming steel hatchets at timber targets with the San Juan Mountains sitting on the horizon behind the cages. Staff hand over the axes, teach you how to catch a clean single rotation, and step back. Because the setup sits outdoors in the open mountain air, you're welcome to pack your own cooler and sip your own drinks between rounds.
If hurling blades into wooden blocks isn't enough high-altitude adrenaline, the axe cages share the hillside with the outfit's 12-line zipline canopy tour and a 45-foot adventure tower with a free-fall device—meaning you can stack a target duel with a leap over the pine canopy.
What it's like
Drive one mile west of downtown Durango along Highway 160 to find the base camp set into the mountain slope. You won't find slick indoor neon or concrete floors here; expect four rugged outdoor cages built straight into the dirt under Ponderosa pines. Staff walk you through throw mechanics and rotation before letting you run your own best-of-ten target match. Pack a cooler since it is BYOB, but remember the operation is strictly seasonal—cages only open from roughly April 1 through November 30.
The move: Book a cage, learn to stick a hatchet into a wooden target with the mountains behind you, and turn it into a best-of-ten throwing duel.
📍 Before you go Outdoor and seasonal: axe-throwing runs roughly April 1 to November 30. Reservations recommended; minimum age 10-13 depending on source, with adult required for minors.
- 📍 Durango (Hwy 160, west of downtown)
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Big night
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 20673 US-160, Durango, CO 81301
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- The Bookcase and Barber — Follow up outdoor axe throwing on the mountainside with a password-entry cocktail tucked behind a working downtown barbershop.
- Durango Park Mini Golf (at Serious Texas BBQ) — Trade hatchet cages for riverfront mini-golf and smoked Texas brisket on the south side of town.
- The Garage Billiards & Music Hall — Head into downtown Durango after your session to swap thrown hatchets for pinball machines and Diamond pool tables.
Good to know
Is the axe throwing indoors or outdoors?
It is entirely outdoors, featuring four regulation cages set on a Ponderosa pine hillside with views toward the San Juan Mountains.
Can you bring your own drinks?
Yes, visitors are welcome to bring their own drinks (BYOB) to keep beside the cages while throwing.
What months of the year is it open?
Because it is an outdoor mountainside operation, axe throwing runs seasonally from roughly April 1 through November 30.
What other activities operate at the same site?
The property also houses a 12-line zipline canopy tour and a 45-foot adventure tower featuring a free-fall drop device.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: uncovercolorado.com · Yelp · Tripadvisor · viator.com · Official site
last checked: 2026-06-23