The City of Durango opened its first outdoor pickleball courts at Schneider Park on June 18, 2024. Indoors, the Recreation Center has scheduled pickleball in its gyms every month. That gives you two ways to play: on a posted indoor schedule, or outdoors on a first-come or reserved basis. Both are inexpensive, and neither needs a club membership to get started.
Where can you play pickleball indoors in Durango?
The Durango Community Recreation Center at 2700 Main Avenue schedules pickleball in its two gyms. The city says all scheduled drop-in play is open to the public with paid entry, with no restrictions on who can play (City of Durango). The schedule is posted monthly as a PDF, so the exact blocks change. The October 2026 version shows these kinds of sessions on different days:
- Early drop-in play, 5:45 to 7:30 a.m.
- Intermediate and advanced play, 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.
- Beginner sessions, either 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- Short drop-in blocks from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
- Pickleball lessons for players 18 and older, 6 to 8 p.m., with prior registration required
The city also posts a protocol for beginner, intermediate and advanced play and a set of rotation rules (City of Durango). Volunteer Pickleball Ambassadors put up and take down nets, answer rules questions and keep the skill levels on time. The gym schedule says beginners start on one court, and once eight paddles are waiting, beginners rotate in by banding their paddles together. Clinics are listed on the city's registration site.
How much does it cost to play at the Recreation Center?
You pay the regular Recreation Center admission. A day pass is $8.00 for ages 18 to 61, $7.00 for ages 62 to 89, and $6.50 for ages 4 to 17. The 20-punch pass runs $100 to $140, and an annual pass runs $295 to $415 (City of Durango). The building also has a pool, a track and a weight room, so a day pass covers more than the gym. Our answer on the Recreation Center lists the rest.
Where are the outdoor pickleball courts?
Schneider Park, at 950 Roosa Avenue along the Animas River, is the city's outdoor home for the game. The Durango Pickleball Association describes six outdoor courts there (Durango Pickleball Association). When the courts opened on June 18, 2024, the city said morning hours from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. would run as drop-in play, and from 1 p.m. until sunset the courts would work on a first-come basis unless someone had a reservation (Engage Durango). The city has not posted a newer schedule on that page, so confirm the current rules with Parks and Recreation at 970-375-7321 if you plan a group outing.
Reserving is simple:
- Create an account on the city's Register4Rec site, or continue as a guest
- Open the Tennis-Pickleball tab, pick the date and time, and choose a Schneider Park court
- Build the booking in 15-minute blocks, up to a 2-hour maximum, then pay in your cart
- Cost: $2 per court per hour, with reservations normally open up to 10 days ahead
The steps come from the city's reservation instructions, and the fee comes from the Schneider Park project page. The city's parks page adds that tennis court reservations are non-refundable, so watch the weather. The outdoor courts stay open until it snows. They close for winter after that and reopen once the snow melts (City of Durango).
Are there other places to play?
- Santa Rita Park: the Durango Pickleball Association says its basketball court has pickleball lines
- Dalton Ranch Golf Club: private courts, and you need an invitation from a playing member
- Glacier Club: private courts, arranged through its pro
- Bayfield: one outdoor court at Library Park
- The association itself: it was once called the Southwest Colorado Pickleball Association, and it runs round robins and shootouts with priority sign-up for members
Want a lesson before you pick up a paddle? A local instructor is listed in our directory as Durango, Colorado's Tennis & Pickleball Pro.