Adventure Town: Silverton, Colorado
Plan a long weekend getaway with our Silverton adventure guide, featuring great outdoor escapes, where to stay, and where to eat.
Pop. 531
GPS: 37°48'N 107°39'W
Silverton is an old mining town parked in Southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, alongside the Animas River. Mining ended only a decade ago, and the town has held on to its Victorian charm: 19th-century red-brick buildings, white picket fences, log cabins, and an old train station make up the compact downtown grid.
PLAY
The best way into town is a ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a historic, coal-fired, steam-powered train that runs straight through the San Juans (adult tickets from $79; www.durangotrain.com). Silverton is a gateway to epic hiking on some of the major fourteeners—Elous, Sunlight, and Windom—and mountain biking in the San Juans. Take the lift up Silverton Mountain, fat-tires in tow, for thrilling—and advanced level—downhills, or head there in the winter for challenging backcountry skiing and boarding (lift tickets from $49; www.silvertonmountain.com).
EAT
Power up for a long day in the mountains with an eggs-and-hash-browns breakfast at Brown Bear Café (+1 970 387 5630).
- Nat Geo Expeditions
SLEEP
The Wyman Hotel & Inn is a historic Victorian B&B with a convenient downtown location (doubles from $95; www.thewyman.com).
