A full ski package costs $32 to $49 a day in Durango on a regular winter weekday, depending on where you rent. The independent shops on US-550 post the low end: $32 at Cliffside and $33 at Performance Sports. Purgatory's own shops post $49 for a standard package and $54 on weekends. For a family of four skiing four days, that gap adds up to about $280. This guide compares every ski rental in Durango that we could verify, using the prices each shop posted in October 2026.
Where can you find ski rentals in Durango, CO?
Durango has seven rental counters. Purgatory runs two of them, one on Main Avenue and one slopeside. Two independents, Cliffside and Performance Sports, sit on US-550 on the way up. Ski Barn and The Boarding Haus rent from Main Avenue. Pine Needle Mountaineering rents Nordic, touring and snowshoe gear, but not resort ski packages.
| Shop | Where | Beginner package, per day | Mid or top tier, per day | Kids' package, per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purgatory Rentals (slopeside) | Village Center, 2nd floor, at the Purgatory base | $49 weekday, $54 weekend | Performance $64 / $69; demo skis $84 / $89 | $39 weekday, $44 weekend (ages 4 to 12) |
| Purgatory Sports Downtown | 2615 Main Ave | Same rates as slopeside | Same rates as slopeside | Same rates as slopeside |
| Performance Sports | Cascade Village, about 2 miles from the Purgatory base | $33 Base | $40 Sport, $50 Premium | $25 Youth Base, $33 Youth Sport |
| Cliffside Ski & Sport | 46825 US-550, about 30 minutes north of downtown | $32 Recreational | $40 Sport, $47 High Performance | $26 Kids Rec (age 12 and under) |
| Ski Barn | 1316 Main Ave (rentals) | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| The Boarding Haus | 1001 Main Ave | Not listed (snowboards) | Demo boards offered, no price | Not listed |
| Pine Needle Mountaineering | 835 Main Ave | Not offered (no resort ski packages) | Alpine touring skis and boots $75 | Not listed |
These are one-day prices as posted on each shop's own website in October 2026. No shop includes a helmet, clothing or goggles. Cliffside's rate page does not name a season, so read its numbers as the latest posted. Ski Barn and The Boarding Haus publish no rental prices at all.
Logistics matter as much as price. Here is how reserving, pickup and hours work at each one.
| Shop | How to reserve | Pickup rules as posted | Hours as posted | Google rating in our directory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purgatory Rentals | Online time slot; arrive inside it | Slopeside, same day | "Winter 26-27 hours" not posted yet | 3.4 (28 reviews) |
| Purgatory Sports Downtown | Online rental reservations | In town, then drive up | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Sundays | 4.1 (89 reviews) |
| Performance Sports | Website only, 24 hours' notice | Next-day pickup from 2 p.m. at no extra charge; damage waiver $3 a day | Not listed | 4.9 (57 reviews) |
| Cliffside | Email at least 48 hours ahead; walk-ins accepted | Opens 8 a.m.; pick up after 3 p.m. the day before at no extra charge | Not listed beyond the 8 a.m. opening | 4.3 (21 reviews) |
| Ski Barn | Online | From 2 p.m. the day before; earlier pickup costs an extra day; rent 3 days, get the 4th free | Not listed | 4.6 (207 reviews) |
| The Boarding Haus | Not listed | Not listed | Its site shows two different sets of hours | 4.7 (139 reviews) |
| Pine Needle Mountaineering | Reserve through its website | Not listed | Not listed | 4.7 (129 reviews) |
Ski Barn's own blog (December 7, 2025) says rentals are at its downtown shop at 1316 Main Ave. It calls 3533 Main Ave the outlet store, open Thursday through Sunday. Its FAQ page lists both 1316 Main Ave (South) and 3533 Main Ave (North), and our directory now shows 1316 Main Ave. Call 970-247-1923 before you drive.
How did we compare the shops?
We used four checks that any renter can repeat:
- Posted price. Prices come from the shop's own website. If a shop does not publish a price, the cell says "Not listed."
- Pickup flexibility. Can you pick up the afternoon before, and does it cost an extra day?
- Kids and demo options. Is there a kids' package, a season lease or a performance tier?
- Rating. Ratings come from the Google data in our directory, and all seven shops appear there.
We checked that each shop's website was live and took reservations or listed rates. We left out any shop whose site we could not confirm for this season.
How much does it cost to rent skis at Purgatory?
Purgatory ski rental rates run from $25 on some early-season days to $64 on peak days for a standard ski or snowboard package. A regular weekday costs $49 and a regular weekend day costs $54. Those are the 2026/27 rates on the resort's rental page.
| Package | Early and late season | Weekday | Weekend | Peak days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard ski or snowboard | $25 to $44 | $49 | $54 | $64 |
| Performance ski or snowboard | $54 | $64 | $69 | $84 |
| Kids ski or snowboard (ages 4 to 12) | $25 to $34 | $39 | $44 | $49 |
| Demo ski or snowboard | $74 | $84 | $89 | $109 |
Early and late season means November 20 to December 26, 2026 and March 18 to April 4, 2027. Peak days are December 27 to January 2, February 13 and 14, and March 15 to 17. That is only 12 days all winter. A helmet is $15 extra. Overnight storage for skis is $10 if you buy it online and $15 on the day. The demo shop, Expert Edge, sits next to the rental counter on the second floor of the Village Center.
How do the independent shops compare, tier by tier?
The independents run about a third cheaper than Purgatory's regular weekday rate. The gear is not identical, so read this as price per tier, not brand against brand.
| Tier, per day | Purgatory (weekday) | Performance Sports | Cliffside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner package | $49 | $33 (Base) | $32 (Recreational) |
| Mid-level package | $64 | $40 (Sport) | $40 (Sport) |
| Top package | $84 (demo) | $50 (Premium) | $47 (High Performance) |
| Kids' package | $39 | $25 (Youth Base) | $26 (Kids Rec) |
| Snowboard | $49 | $40 | $37 basic, $45 performance |
On the beginner package, Performance Sports is $16 cheaper than Purgatory (33%), and Cliffside is $17 cheaper (35%). Performance Sports lists K2, Marker, Volkl and Burton gear. Cliffside lists K2, Head, Salomon, Blizzard, Elan, Volkl and Dynastar skis. Purgatory's standard package uses Head Ambition skis and Head boots.
How much does a four-day rental cost for a family of four?
For two parents and two kids, ages 8 and 11, a Thursday-to-Sunday trip at regular rates costs $744 at Purgatory and $464 at the cheapest independents. We assumed regular mid-winter pricing, with Saturday and Sunday as weekend days, and no helmets.
| Shop and package | Daily family cost | Four-day total |
|---|---|---|
| Purgatory, standard (two weekdays, two weekend days) | $176 weekday, $196 weekend | $744 |
| Purgatory, performance for the parents | $206 weekday, $226 weekend | $864 |
| Performance Sports, Base | $116 | $464 |
| Performance Sports, Sport | $146 | $584 |
| Cliffside, Recreational | $116 | $464 |
| Cliffside, Sport for parents, Kids Rec | $132 | $528 |
The cheapest independent route saves $280 over four days, or $70 a day. Add helmets and that changes a little. Performance Sports charges $8 a day per helmet, so four helmets for four days is $128. Cliffside and Purgatory charge $15 per helmet, and neither says whether that is per day or per rental. Bring your own helmets and the table holds. Performance Sports also limits its youth packages to kids under 100 pounds and under 5 feet tall. Bigger kids rent a full-size package.
Ski Barn says a 3-day rental gets a free fourth day. That is a 25% cut on a 4-day trip, though the shop does not post its daily rate.
Should you rent in town or at the mountain?
Rent in town the afternoon before if your first morning matters. Purgatory warns that its slopeside counter cannot promise a 9 a.m. lesson start if you arrive at 8:45, because other guests are in line too. Group lessons start at 9:30 a.m. and private lessons at 9:00 a.m.
Here is how the options trade off:
- Purgatory Sports Downtown charges the same as the slopeside counter, so renting on Main Avenue costs nothing extra. It closes at 5 p.m. and all day Sunday. If you ski on a Sunday, pick up on Saturday before 5 p.m.
- Performance Sports and Cliffside are on the drive up. The Purgatory base is about 27 miles and 35 minutes from downtown on dry roads. Cascade Village is about 25 miles and 32 minutes. The stop adds almost no driving, and day-before pickup starts at 2 p.m. or 3 p.m.
- Ski Barn is a Main Avenue stop with pickup from 2 p.m. the day before.
- Slopeside rental makes sense if you arrive in the morning with no gear and a late lesson time. Allow extra time on snowy roads.
For the drive itself, see our Purgatory ski resort guide and the lift ticket price guide.
Is a season lease worth it?
A season lease pays off after two to four ski days. Purgatory Sports Downtown sells full-season packages in person at 2615 Main Ave, in limited quantities.
| Season package | Season price | Days to beat the daily rate |
|---|---|---|
| Grom ski or snowboard (ages 3 to 6) | $75 | 2 days vs the $39 kids' weekday rate |
| Youth ski or snowboard (ages 7 to 12) | $100 | 3 days vs $39 |
| Youth Freeride (ages 13 to 17) | $150 | 4 days vs the $49 weekday rate |
| Standard ski (ages 18 and older) | $150 | 4 days vs $49 |
| Performance (ages 18 and older) | $175 | 3 days vs the $64 performance rate |
| Performance Plus (ages 18 and older) | $200 | 4 days vs $64 |
Performance Sports leases kids' and family gear for the season too. Pickup opens November 1, and bookings close December 1, so a family flying in for Christmas has to book before December. The shop posts no price. Call first. A lease suits a local household, or anyone who will ski the holidays and then come back for spring break. If Purgatory is not your only hill, our ski areas near Durango guide lists the others.
What should you bring to a rental fitting?
Bring the numbers a shop needs to set your bindings safely. Purgatory asks for height to the nearest inch, weight to the nearest pound, age, shoe size and skier ability. Cliffside asks for the same list plus gender, and it sorts skiers into three types:
- Type I: entry-level skiers who ski at lower speeds and need lighter release settings.
- Type II: intermediate skiers who like a mix of speeds and terrain.
- Type III: aggressive skiers who ski fast on challenging terrain and need higher settings.
Be honest about your type. It sets how easily the binding lets go in a fall. Purgatory adds that skier ability is not the same as your ski school level. Snowboard bindings do not release, so ability only affects the boot and board length.
Also bring:
- Your own helmet, goggles and gloves, since no package includes them.
- Each person's shoe size written down, so a parent can answer for the kids.
- The pickup time you reserved. Purgatory expects you to arrive inside your time block.
Where can you find a snowboard rental in Durango, plus Nordic skis and snowshoes?
Snowboards rent at Purgatory ($49 on a regular weekday), Performance Sports ($40), Cliffside ($37 basic, $45 performance) and The Boarding Haus, which lists no prices. For cross-country and snowshoeing, Pine Needle Mountaineering rents Nordic skis and boots for $25 a half day or $30 a full day, snowshoes for $15 or $20, and splitboards for $75 a day. Cliffside rents Tubbs snowshoes for $25. For other cold-weather ideas, see winter activities beyond skiing and our guide to winter tours in Durango.
Is there ski rental delivery in Durango?
We found no true delivery service in Durango as of October 2026. Performance Sports has a page titled ski rental delivery, but it describes pickup at Cascade Village with your gear set aside. Delivery services do exist in Telluride, which is outside this guide's area.
What should you read next?
- Slopeside beds: our Purgatory lodging guide.
- A full week plan: the Durango ski trip guide.
- More gear shops: browse ski rental businesses and other things to do.
