Train Ride Packages
Train Ride & 4×4 Tour in Silverton
With this package you will be riding the bus from Durango at 9:30am. During the bus ride to Silverton you will enjoy cruising over the famous Million Dollar Highway, an American Scenic Byway. Drivers, this is a wonderful drive in itself and you will be able to sit back and enjoy the view.
San Juan Backcountry will pick you up at the bus station in Historic Silverton, Colorado. Your tour will begin from the bus station and from here you will begin your adventure into the backcountry of the San Juan Mountains. You have the option of either driving your own ATV/UTV or letting your experienced guide drive - leaving you free to sit back, relax, take pictures, and enjoy the beautiful scenery!
You will experience what it might have been like in the 1800’s when miners and their families traveled. Along the way, you will be viewing waterfalls, ghost towns, wildflowers, mines and just maybe, some wildlife.
You will travel to approximately 13,000 feet in elevation. We will stop and have lunch along the way, where you can take a hike or just sit and gaze at the beauty of San Juan Mountains.
We will arrive back in Silverton at approximately 2:00pm, just in time for you to do some quick shopping or exploring around Silverton. You will board the Train at 2:30pm and will arrive in Durango at 6:30pm. Your return trip to Durango runs through the picturesque Animas River Canyon.
Drivers must be 16 years or older w/ a valid drivers license to rent and must purchase walk away insurance for $50/day if driver is between the ages of 16 and 21. ATV Passengers must be 5 years or older, UTV passengers have no age limit but anyone under 5 years of age must be in a car seat.
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9:30am – Depart from Durango Train Station via bus to Silverton.
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10:45am – San Juan Backcountry Pick-up at Silverton Train Station.
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11:00am to 2:00pm: Guided ATV/UTV or 4×4 Tour (lunch provided).
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2:00pm – Return to Silverton to explore/shop.
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2:30pm – 3:00pm – Board Train for Durango.
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6:30pm – Arrive in Durango.
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Bus and Tour
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Lunch (includes large sandwich, potato chips, candy bar, bottled water, and a souvenir “string backpack”. Sandwich choices are: Ham, roast beef, turkey or vegetarian)
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Standard-class coach seat on train
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Train Seating can be upgraded for an additional cost. Upgrade to premium-class train seating!
Itinerary
Fares Include
Historical Train Tours from Durango to Silverton, CO
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast on your own in Durango before you board the D&S Motor Coach at 9:30am bound for Historic Silverton via the Million Dollar Highway. The views are worth a million bucks! Your journey back in time to catch a glimpse of Silverton’s mining history begins the moment you step off the Motor Coach and meet your tour guide from San Juan Backcountry. Your guide will acquaint you with many of the fascinating sights in the historic district of Silverton. You’ll soon be on your way to Cunningham Gulch and the Old Hundred Gold Mine. At the picnic area enjoy the views, the fresh air and a freshly-made picnic lunch. Lunch includes ham, turkey or vegetarian sandwich, chips, candy bar, bottled water and a souvenir “string backpack” that’s yours to keep!
Try your hand at panning for gold and silver. Shortly before noon you will “suit up” and board the electric mine train for the 1/3 mile ride, 1,600 feet deep into the heart of Galena Mountain. Here you will see the gold vein with tunnels and shafts built by the hard-rock miners between 1907 and 1972.
After returning to the sunlight, the tour continues with views of the Old Hundred Boarding House, which hangs precariously on the side of the mountain 2,000 feet above the mine site, since 1904. As you head back to town you will pass the Mayflower Mill as your guide describes the way ore was processed in the late 19th century. Next stop is Silverton’s state-of-the-art mining museum and its historical jail. Slip into the jail and feel what it was like to be “behind bars” in the old town of Silverton. Don’t forget your camera and binoculars.
San Juan Backcountry drops you at the train stop in time for the 3:00pm departure (May through September) headed to Durango.
You will ride on the same rails gold and silver ore took on its way to the smelter and you will see the same breathtaking views in the Animas River Canyon that ore train crews did back in the 1880’s.
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9:30am – Motor Coach departs from Durango depot for Silverton.
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10:45am – Arrive in Silverton & meet your guide.
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11:00am to 2:00pm – Historic Silverton Mining and Museum Tours.
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2:45pm – Board the D&SNGR steam train headed for Durango.
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6:30pm – Arrive in Durango.
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Bus and Tour
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Lunch (includes large sandwich, potato chips, candy bar, bottled water, and a souvenir “string backpack”. Sandwich choices are: Ham, roast beef, turkey or vegetarian)
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Gold panning
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Standard-class coach seat on train
-
Train Seating can be upgraded for an additional cost. Upgrade to premium-class train seating!
Itinerary
Fares Include
Note: If you would prefer to stay overnight in Silverton and return to Durango the next day, please ask for details. This is a great way to get experience more of Silverton, Colorado! Advance Reservations Required. Availability is limited.