Race the Creede, CO Donkey Dash with Adventure Running!
Colorado
Accommodations: Vacation Home Start/End: Denver, CO Meeting Place and Time: Denver, CO / 10:00 a.m. June 3 |
Colorado Burro Racing Tour
June 3-7 Maximum Group Size: 8 Tour Price: $1,895 - Vacation Home Click the button below to make a reservation and payment Once you make your reservation and tour payment, you will receive additional information about this trip, gear list and a more detailed itinerary as you get closer to the tour date. Call or e-mail us if you'd like more information about this trip. |
A Burro Racing Adventure in a Legendary Colorado Town
Running the Creede, Colorado Donkey Dash with Adventure Running Co. will be unlike any other adventure we've offered. This tour is the kind of adventure that blends quirky tradition, rugged mountain beauty, and deep Western history into one unforgettable experience. Burro racing itself is a uniquely Colorado sport born from the state’s mining past, when miners relied on burros to haul gear into the mountains and—legend has it—two miners once raced back to town with their burros to file a claim first, creating the sport that endures today. In the modern version, you run beside your donkey, holding a lead rope and working as a team, discovering very quickly that patience, humor, and communication matter as much as fitness. It’s hard not to smile when you’re negotiating pace and personality with a 300-pound teammate. For the burro race, Adventure Running Co. will take care of renting the donkeys we'll race with, coordinate training with the donkeys and cover the race entry fees.
The tour takes place in Creede, one of Colorado’s most dramatic and character-filled towns. Nestled at 8,800 feet in a narrow volcanic canyon carved by Willow Creek, Creede rose to fame in the 1890s silver boom and attracted legendary Old West figures like Bat Masterson, Soapy Smith, and Calamity Jane. Its single main street is backed by towering tuff cliffs, and remnants of mine shafts and tram towers still cling to the canyon walls. Today the town blends that gritty history with a vibrant arts scene centered on the nationally acclaimed Creede Repertory Theatre. The landscape around Creede is just as compelling, offering miles of historic mining roads and singletrack that wind through Willow Creek Canyon, the old Bachelor Loop mining district, aspen groves, and high ridgelines near the Continental Divide. The entire region sits within the vast Creede Caldera, giving the terrain its unique volcanic spires and cliffs.
What makes the Creede Donkey Dash tour so much fun is how all these elements come together. You’re running through breathtaking high-country scenery with a donkey who may decide at any moment to speed up, pause, or negotiate terms. The camaraderie is instant—everyone is laughing, cheering, and swapping stories of mid-race burro negotiations. With locals lining the route, the spirit of the Old West lingering in the canyon walls, and the unpredictable joy of sharing a race with a long-eared partner, the Creede Donkey Dash becomes less of a competition and more of a delightful, memorable plunge into Colorado’s heritage and heart. This tour is sure to delight, and we can't wait to swap our donkey racing stories with you around the campfire after the race, at our comfortable vacation home! See you in Colorado in June!
The tour takes place in Creede, one of Colorado’s most dramatic and character-filled towns. Nestled at 8,800 feet in a narrow volcanic canyon carved by Willow Creek, Creede rose to fame in the 1890s silver boom and attracted legendary Old West figures like Bat Masterson, Soapy Smith, and Calamity Jane. Its single main street is backed by towering tuff cliffs, and remnants of mine shafts and tram towers still cling to the canyon walls. Today the town blends that gritty history with a vibrant arts scene centered on the nationally acclaimed Creede Repertory Theatre. The landscape around Creede is just as compelling, offering miles of historic mining roads and singletrack that wind through Willow Creek Canyon, the old Bachelor Loop mining district, aspen groves, and high ridgelines near the Continental Divide. The entire region sits within the vast Creede Caldera, giving the terrain its unique volcanic spires and cliffs.
What makes the Creede Donkey Dash tour so much fun is how all these elements come together. You’re running through breathtaking high-country scenery with a donkey who may decide at any moment to speed up, pause, or negotiate terms. The camaraderie is instant—everyone is laughing, cheering, and swapping stories of mid-race burro negotiations. With locals lining the route, the spirit of the Old West lingering in the canyon walls, and the unpredictable joy of sharing a race with a long-eared partner, the Creede Donkey Dash becomes less of a competition and more of a delightful, memorable plunge into Colorado’s heritage and heart. This tour is sure to delight, and we can't wait to swap our donkey racing stories with you around the campfire after the race, at our comfortable vacation home! See you in Colorado in June!
"Having a participated in a few previous group running trips with a different provider, this trip was easily the FUNNEST of them all. Good times, running trails with really good people. This group felt more like a family. Highly recommended. Will be returning for sure!"
Trip Details
Duration/Mileage: 5 days/40+ miles
Difficulty: Intermediate - high altitude, rugged trails, gravel roads, moderate elevation change, some long climbs, unpredictable donkeys, 10 mile race at high elevation, poor signage in places, distances between 5 and 15 miles.
Duration/Mileage: 5 days/40+ miles
Difficulty: Intermediate - high altitude, rugged trails, gravel roads, moderate elevation change, some long climbs, unpredictable donkeys, 10 mile race at high elevation, poor signage in places, distances between 5 and 15 miles.
"Epic trip! Everything was perfect and far exceeded expectations. So grateful for this experience."