The picture in my head is so perfectly clear: it’s the late 1880’s and the miners pile onto the train with supplies in hand and a hope to strike it big in the prosperous mining town of Silverton. The coal-fired, steam engine twists and turns its way through the snow-capped San Juan Mountains while the steam billows into the mountain air. They are never far from the icy Animas River that flows alongside the train as it climbs the narrow canyon walls. Their cheeks are rosy red from the cold wind that beats against their face, but they have one thing on their mind: silver. This was before the “Silver Panic” that took place in 1893 when the US put a halt on using silver as the basis for its currency causing the value of silver to drop dramatically. But Silverton managed to survive while many other mining towns took a dive and became instant ghost towns.
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Today, Silverton thrives off of tourism, with the help of the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, the same railroad that was built in the 1800’s. It no longer hauls miners and ores like it did in its early years, but it does provide its passengers with one of the most scenic rides in the United States. We were lucky enough to be two of those passengers. We did a lot of researching those “can’t miss – must see” things in Colorado prior to our road trip and one thing that kept coming up was this train ride. It became quite obvious that we couldn’t visit Colorado without it on our itinerary. Unfortunately, we only had 2 nights in Durango which wasn’t nearly enough time, but it did allow us a full day to partake in this magnificent journey.
Because the train ride is a good 3 ½ hour trek, we opted for the bus/train combo option that allowed us to take a 45 minute (scenic, but very different) ride to Silverton on a coach bus and then return on the train. This allowed us to spend more time in Silverton, eating lunch and exploring the town, and the ride time on the train was just enough. The entire journey we were met with jaw-dropping views and picture perfect vistas and our camera never left our hands. Along the way, we stopped at numerous refill stations and also picked up some hikers and zip-liners which made the ride that much more fun. We passed through a small village and caught a glimpse of some reindeer. I can only imagine what the ride would look like in the winter time. I’m sure it’s a completely different experience and one for the books!
There is so much I could say about this fascinating journey, but the photos and video say it all. Scroll down and take a look!
Things you should know before you go? We got ya covered!
If you plan to take the train ride while in CO, make sure to book your tickets in advance because seats do fill up. This is especially true if you prefer the bus/train combo as seats on the bus sell out well in advance.
We opted for the open air gondola and we had a great experience. We had perfect weather and this allowed us to take beautiful panoramic photos. However, make sure to dress in layers even in the summer months. We took the ride in August and were so glad we had our hats and scarves with us! Also, bring your sunglasses to avoid soot from the train ending up in your eyes. It happens.
BRING YOUR CAMERA. In fact, bring an extra battery for your camera. You will probably need it!
Allow yourself time to explore Silverton. It is a really neat town bursting at the seams with that Wild West charm. We recommend lunch at the Brown Bear Café– try the French onion soup. We went back for seconds!
If you plan to spend a few nights in Silverton, check out the South Mineral Campground on the outskirts of town –> AMAZING!
We are Brittany and Charlie - we traded the 9 to 5 and the so-called "American dream" to live our own dream and see the world. We sold all of our belongings and left the US in August 2013. For 5 years, we lived primarily in Thailand and built our online business and location independent lifestyle while we traveled to over 30 countries. We’ve had house sitting gigs on 3 different continents and we’ve even appeared on HGTV’s House Hunters International.
[…] nights where we tried our hand at black jack and a number of quirky slot machines. We were already falling in love with Colorado and we hadn’t seen hardly anything yet. We then proceeded to our next destination. The […]
[…] places I’ve ever seen in real life, located just outside of Silverton where we arrived on the Narrow Gauge Railway. We popped our tent not even 10 feet from the river rapids flowing through our campsite, the most […]
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