Durango has Fort Lewis which is a four-year college. Bloomfield has a grocery store, tack and fishing shops, a small discount store, and several small strip malls. Large purchases are usually made in Farmington. There are full-service banks in Bloomfield as well as in Farmington. There are several churches representing most denominations in the community.
Golfing is also big in the area.
Farmington has 5 public and one private course. Skiing is popular in the area with Purgatory Ski Resort, Wolf Creek Ski Area, and Telluride Ski Area to choose from nearby. The Jicarilla Ranger District is located on one of the largest known sources of natural gas in the United States, the San Juan Basin. There are approximately 550 natural gas wells located on the District. There is also approximately 300 miles of pipelines and 250 miles of roads which service the wells on the District.