Silverton, CO is a small town that is nestled in the remote San Juan Mountains of Colorado, at nearly 10,000 feet above sea level. It was once a bustling mining community. The decline started in the 1910s and ended with the closing of the last mine in 1991. It then transitioned to an historic tourism and outdoor recreation hub. Its historic downtown district was designated as a National Historic Landmark District to preserve its exceptionally well-preserved example of a late 19th and early 20th century mining town. Today its population is around 730 people.
I enjoyed my visit in September 2025. You can spend a few hours or spend a night or two. To get there you can drive south from Ouray by way of the Million Dollar Highway which is part of the San Juan Skyway Colorado Scenic Byway. It is widely considered one of America’s scariest drives due to its lack of guardrails, narrow lanes, hairpin turns, and steep drop-offs. So, I decided to pass and came up from Durango.
You can drive, but I recommend that you take the historic Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. “Durango, Colorado was founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1880. The railroad arrived in Durango on August 5, 1881, and construction on the line to Silverton began in the fall of the same year. By July of 1882, the tracks to Silverton were completed, and the train began hauling both freight and passengers.
The line was constructed to haul silver & gold ore from Southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, but passengers soon realized it was the view that was truly precious.
This historic train has been in continuous operation between Durango and Silverton since 1882, carrying passengers behind historic steam and diesel locomotives and rolling stock indigenous to the line.”
There are several packages available along with several classes of service. You can choose some of the historic train cars from 1925 that are now 100 years old. I chose to take the bus up and the diesel train back on the same day. This gave me the chance to walk downtown and explore and have a great lunch, before returning to Durango. I also loved seeing the views from the train which goes along the creeks and canyons at a maximum speed of 15 to 20 miles per hour.
Downtown has an historic hotel along with galleries, shops, bars and restaurants. My top recommendations include:
Handlebars Food & Saloon: Opened in 1989, this is a casual bar and restaurant serving soups, sandwiches, steaks, ribs, entrees and burgers with an Old West-themed decor. I went for lunch and enjoyed the atmosphere, owner, staff and a great elk burger.
Grand Imperial Hotel: Located downtown at 1219 Greene St., this is an historic hotel originally opened in 1883 as the Grand Hotel. The Harper family, owners of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, purchased the Hotel in the spring of 2015. It underwent a major renovation. In addition to remodeling the rooms, they restored the lobby, restaurant and saloon.
Off of the lobby is the Elevated Coffee Company. This is a lovely coffee shop where I enjoyed a great latte. They also offer ice cream and breakfast sandwiches. On the other side of the building is the Lacey Rose Saloon. This is a casual, full-service restaurant that is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It has a fun atmosphere. They also feature live entertainment, including ragtime and old west piano music.
Golden Block Brewery is a small craft brewery downtown at 1227 Greene St. Opened in 2014, they brew a number of ales, stouts, IPAs, sours and kolsch. They also have a food menu of appetizers, salads, panini sandwiches and pizzas made with their wood-fired brick oven.
Rendezvous Circa 1880: This is an attractive bar and restaurant at 117 W. 13th St. Open for dinner, they have a menu using locally sourced ingredients.
Other places to try while you are in town include:
Wooden Indian Ice Cream is a cute shop near the train drop off and pick up point. 229 W. 12th St.
Rocky Mountain Funnel Cake Factory: This is a shop serving funnel cake and ice cream at 1249 Greene St.
Kendall Mountain Cafe, 421 Greene St., for breakfast and lunch, High Noon Hamburgers, 1205 Empire St., for burgers, fries and chili and the Coffee Bear, 1309 Greene St., for coffee, smoothies and burritos.
Adelaide’s Antiques: This is Silverton’s only antique store that is located downtown at 1327 Greene St.
Storyteller Indian Store: At 1269 Green St., this is a store featuring Native American designed jewelry, art and ceramics.
The Silverton Train Store is a local store featuring historic train memorabilia, railroad art and antiques. 1257 Greene St.
There are many opportunities for hiking, mountain biking and fishing. Seeing the fall foliage is highly recommended with peak colors in mid-September to early October. You can take a gold mine tour through the Old Hundred Gold Mine Tour and enjoy a Summer Sounds concert from June to September in Memorial Park. There is also the Silverton First Friday Art Walk and the Silverton Creates! Arts Festival.
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