Durango Silverton Train – Two Trails One Road

Bucket List! If you HAVE such a list… I have a TRIP for you!

It’s an old steam engine train ride from Durango, Colorado to Silverton,Colorado! The scenery is breathtaking. This train travels 45 miles crossing the Animas River and the railway has been in existence for 130 years. It was also the train used in the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I highly recommend going in the fall, for peak leaf color season. We booked it for mid October. This way we had color and a little snow!

We arrived in Durango the day before our trip just in time for antiquing and dinner. There are many wonderful eateries but there were 3 different sports games on and we opted for a wonderful Brewery that had great Beer and Food. Steamworks Brewing Co. was perfect! A great happy hour and all the peanuts you wish.

The next morning we arrived at the train station early. Sweet Man purchased tickets ahead of time online. I highly recommend pre-purchasing tickets… to avoid lines and it assures you the right side of your train car which provides you the best views. We also wanted to sit inside as the temps were in the low 50’s when we started out.

We were in awe the entire trip!

There were stunning views around each bend.

We had coffee in tow but the train also provides a concession car for some snacks, coffee, beverages and adult beverages.

The train cars are quite comfortable and the windows can be easily opened for clear pictures.

Here you can see the open car. I was perfectly happy sitting inside. We were able to move along the train to get pictures, frequent the concession car and use the restroom. Coming back we even rode in the open air car for a short while.

If you have a fear of heights… you may want to sit in the aisle seat. However… I loved it!

Many ask why is the river so green? It’s supposedly from an algae bloom but in some cases it was slightly orange, as well, due to Mine run off.

Sights along the way could not be missed!

As the train rides along… many waterfalls add to the beauty.

Living in the desert we do not see trees of color during the Autumn. We definitely got our fill on this train ride!

The day is long but well worth it. We rode the train up and back. Many opt to take a bus back from Silverton. However, we saw even more sights coming back on the train.

The orange-brown color on the banks near Silverton is due to an old mine. The whole purpose of this rail was to haul silver and gold ore from the mountains down to Durango 130 years ago. Even though the mines are closed… the trail line remains because multitudes of passengers love the gorgeous views. The locomotive is totally coal fired and steam ran.

The above picture shows us coming into Silverton.

Like I said earlier, we stayed in Durango. Silverton is a very small Mountain town. With a population of about 150 in the winter… many establishments are closed. Not just because of few people but because the pipes tend to freeze. We did find a place open called Avalanche Brewing Co. with great craft beer and food! Sweet man had a pulled pork sandwich with homemade slaw. I enjoyed an amazing Tomato Bisque Soup. The craft beer was delish!

Silverton’s population grows in the summer. 600-700+ population. There are many ATV trails and hiking for their enjoyment.

It had snowed the night before we arrived and the Silverton Streets were muddy. Many establishments were closed and we were happy to see the train arrive to take us back to Durango.