Sure, this drive is stunning at all times of the year, but experiencing the San Juans when fall colors grace the valleys, hills, and riversides feels like something out of your wildest dreams. Hiking from west to east is less common as you start in the steep San Juan Mountains and end in the rather anticlimactic Waterton Canyon area. Many areas in Silverton are great ice climbing spots in the wintertime though if ice climbing is what you love, you ought to head to Ouray. During summer, about eight trains per day run along the tracks; in Durango the trains travel a maximum of 15-20 mph. There are a few huts that are part of the 10th Mountain DivisionHut System. It is a legacy that glitters in Silvertons elaborate Victorian-era architecture, reflecting the millions of dollars drawn from the earth during the mining boom of the late 1800s to early 1900s. Big rig sites but a dirt road to get there. Except for severe weather conditions, the D&SNG runs trains as scheduled. Fall colors usually grace the Million Dollar Highway from the last week of September through the second week of October. Plan on doing it again next summer. Mid sized rig friendly. Option 1: East to West (Denver to Durango). Truth is, nobody knows. Second is the Uncompahgre Gorge AKA the Ice Park. Be sure to stop by the Silverton Museum, Jail and Mining Heritage Center and uncover many artifacts of San Juan Countys past. Maggie is suitable for any size rig. This might be good or bad depending on your preference.

Or you can rent a Razor out of Silverton. Colorados Million Dollar Highway is often considered one of the greatest drives in the world and a ride everyone should experience before they die. All very scenic, some even riverfront. Deer, elk, black bear, Bighorn Sheep, mountain lions and moose are sometimes sighted as well as eagles, hawks, osprey, geese, squirrels, marmots and fox. The drive leading up to Red Mountain Pass is really quite moderate and typical of Colorado roads so if just that section unnerves you, I wouldnt recommend going on to Ouray. The ticket office for the Silverton train opened at 7am. Totally Delicious -- and Totally Healthy Durango Restaurants, Water Safety on the Rivers, Lakes, and Beaches, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Facts. Thankfully, with each up, hikers are treated with glorious views. Pack some sturdy rain gear and a map so you can find an exit route if you need to get below treeline quickly. 2,360' Up This map includes all the top activities from hiking to climbing, biking, camping, and even just scenic stops and eateries that I later recommend in this blog. Be sure to check up on road conditions before you head out on the scenic highway. 2022 Durango Trails Inc | Privacy Policy. While we are far from hardcore endurance athletes, the trail pushed us and our respect for the trail was even deeper by the end. Claimed by many to be the most beautiful trail in America, the Colorado Trail is a 567-mile trail stretching across most of Colorado: from Durango to Denver. As you leave Marshall Pass, you will enter the cattle country of Cochetopa Valley. WebElk Creek Trail #503 is part of the Colorado Trail, traversing the mountains from Denver to Durango. WebThe Colorado Trail. Rode it all the way to Silverton. As I mentioned earlier, many people choose to just stay in Durango and make a trip up the Million dollar Highway for a day. trip report by site editor Rick McCharles, day 1|day 2|day 3|day 4|info page, Durango Silverton Molas Pass Lime Creek. Hikers are hitching back and forth the 7 miles to Molas Pass all the time. We drive you up in our 4-wheel drive vehicle and drop you at The Colorado Trail. Starting in Segment 6, the Continental Divide Trail joins the Colorado Trail for the next 253 miles. This is about an injury or accident

I recommend spending 1-2 nights in each city along the Million Dollar Highway including Durango, Silverton, and Ouray. First things first, right as you leave Silverton, a brief 5 minute drive will bring you to the junction for South Mineral campground, which lies down a 5 mile dirt road. If youre a hardcore adventurer, you can hop on the historic train and have them drop you off to go on a backcountry hike thats inaccessible to cars (dont worry, theyll pick you up at the end as well). The railroad arrived in Durango on August 5, 1881 and construction on the line to Silverton began in Have the correct equipment and know how to use all of it. Haviland Lake NF Campground $35 per night. 7 miles form Silverton. Ouray doesnt have a ton of camping options but it doesnt need to, this campground and RV Park is a destination in itself. Highly recommended The Bikepacking Journal is our biannual printed publication. On top of skiing, you may enjoy sledding, tubing and ice-skating at Kendall Mountain. Just personal preference. If you have experience driving in and over mountains you will be fine. Please call 1-888-687-2461 to reserve the Silverton Historic Mine Tour package. Molas Pass Trail Drop: $20 per person. Camping is the best way to experience the Million Dollar Highway. The San Juan Skyway and the Million Dollar Highway can easily be combined to make a loop by heading left when you hit Ridgeway, passing Dallas Divide, and then continuing down highway 145. Wilderness areas are detoured as mountain bikes are not allowed in the Wilderness.

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If you have 4WD, you can cut out 3 miles of hiking. However, only about 150 people of these completely thru hike it every year. No facilities. Start and End Point: Northeastern terminus is Waterton Canyon State Park outside of Denver and the southwestern terminus is Durango, CO just past Indian Trail Ridge. People can easily get lost on the trail, so make sure someone knows where you should be and roughly when you should be there. From there, hold on for a fast and loose descent to Camp Hale followed by very enjoyable riding up to Tennessee Pass and on to Wurtz Ditch Road. WebTop 3 Places to Have Fun in Durango, Colorado: Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is a must-see attraction in Durango. Launch map view Distance: 39.1 miles Duration: 3h 30m What companies run services between Durango, CO, USA and Silverton, CO, USA? Up to 35 foot RVs but road conditions may vary by year. Though there are There are also more bailout points if you need to leave the trail in the beginning. Fortunately, on the downhill, you wont be on the exposed side of the highway, its only on the way up that nervous drivers will feel a bit white knuckled. Its a bit cheaper than the condo and you have the entire home to yourself. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById('copyright').appendChild(document.createTextNode(new Date().getFullYear())) Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. An unbelievably testing, fulfilling, crushing, gratifying, draining, glorious mind-over-matter "ride" (read: push)! WebTop 3 Places to Have Fun in Durango, Colorado: Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is a must-see attraction in With the high elevation and brilliant sunshine,we recommend youhave a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen handy. The Denver side is logistically easier to get to than Durango. WebCan you get on The Colorado Trail by using the train that goes between Durango and Silverton? Because the Wilderness detours pass through several towns where food resupply and motels abound, the Colorado Trail is particularly well suited for a bikepacking adventure of epic proportions. There are locations suitable for various experience levels, but those intending to bike must detour around certain protected wilderness areas as they cross-country. Technical terrain with no alternate lines.

An Adventure Projects staff member will review this and take an appropriate action, but we generally don't reply. I had a ride within minutes. Option 2: West to East (Durango to Denver). The relentless ups and downs continue in this portion of the Colorado trail but you wont care. The Local Overnighters Project is a unified effort to document and map one-night bikepacking routes all over the worldby locals, in their own backyards. 5.2 mi Running for 535 miles between Denver and Durango, the trail crosses high alpine mountain passes and drops into beautiful valleys as it traverses the most beautiful portions of the state of Colorado. Sits on the Animas Bike Path. Cell phone reception will be limited and unreliable. Widely variable, narrow trail tread with steeper grades and unavoidable obstacles of 15in/38cm tall or less. Bring in proper gear and ensure that you bring out whatever waste you bring to protect the environment. First is the hot springs and no trip here is complete without visiting Ouray Hot Springs pool once. The trails youre about to enjoy wouldnt exist without our year-round work to plan, build, and maintain them. Either bring your own 4X4 vehicle or rent a razor from Silverton Rock Pirates. In fact, the route described here has been traversed solo and self-supported in an astonishing 3 days, 23 hours and 38 minutes by Jefe Branham of Gunnison in 2012. Paul PIE Ingram (www.pieonthetrail.com). Those who have done longer trips backpacking and camping claim it is a life-changing, amazing experience. The trail can be access from either Molas Trail #665 or the Durango Silverton All you will be thinking about are the breathtaking views of the expansive surroundings. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. If you purchase a product from one of our links below, we may earn a percentage from one of our affiliate partners. Collegiate East Route Option:The original 78 mile route. Engineer Mountain is a favorite hike or ride that is well marked and in close proximity to Durango, making it quite popular in the summertime. La Plata Fairgrounds $25 per night. The vista looked great from Molas. 18,000) by Roadrunner, the only long distance bus in and out of town. Please explain. . Wahoo! First, let me reassure that when driven under normal, sunny circumstances in a standard vehicle, its not dangerous. NOT OKAY! 305h 53m. Here you will climb to the top of San Luis Peak (14,014 feet) in the La Garita wilderness and pass by the town of Creede, considered by many to be the best resupply town on the entire trail. This is a backcountry trail with many segments that have limited or no vehicle access. Here there is every outdoor activity imaginable. 721.56 m Down, 19.9 mi "The 10 miles of downhill from the top of Blackhawk Mountain is some of the best there is, writes John Robinette on DurangoBikeTours.com. The idea behind the trail was born in 1973, but the trail itself wasnt created and connected until 1987. 2,692' Up For the tech crowd, Guthooks offers a detaileddownloadable mapfor your phone. For a more information on our year-round recreation log on to www.silvertoncolorado.com or call 1-800-752-4494. A bad wreck on segment 17 caused me to bail in Silverton with a busted up hip. The high elevation combined with colder months can lead to extremely dangerous hiking conditions. Theres also the easy Yankee Boy Basin route and more. 4,174' Down Some popular towns where thru-hikers usually resupply: The Colorado Trail is well marked and relatively easy to follow. Dont worry, the road is smooth and any size RV can make it to the campground. Hop aboard to be the first to hear about upcoming events, specials, and train news. Colorado Trail: Molas Pass to Engineer Mountain, Mountain Bike the Breathtaking Colorado Trail, Bucket List Worthy: All 4 of Colorados IMBA Epic Rides, Durango: Most Underrated MTB Destination in Colorado. You'll climb over Coal Bank Pass, which has a summit of 10,660 feet, and Molas Pass. Junction Creek NF Campground $25 per night. Indeed, between departing from Highway 550 at Molas Pass and entering the town of Durango, the only sign of human life is the occasional dirt road crossing. Across the highway. If youre going to be hanging out at your campground, Id recommend a more scenic spot outside of Silverton. Yes absolutely, especially in the summer. If you go east, expect a nice forest walk through groves of pine and aspen and the occasional road walk. The scenic section that we refer to as the Million Dollar Highway is the 25-mile section between Ouray and Silverton, then from Silverton to Durango the scenic road technically becomes the San Juan Skyway. The historic hotel has a great location in downtown and a nice outdoor terrace. From Durango to Silverton and Ouray, there are so many things to do that will take your breath away like hiking, biking, and off roading. WebWith over 300 miles of singletrack, hardly any of which is flat, you'll encounter nearly every style of riding imaginable: loads of swoopy fast trail, many rocky, rooty, technical climbs Be sure to check out this related blog on things to do in Ouray for all the details. We designed this map to be a comprehensive guide to our regions trails. The special edition 10th issue of The Bikepacking Journal is one you wont want to miss! Learn how your comment data is processed. Welcome to my favorite section of the Million Dollar Highway. Most easily distinguished as the location of Purgatory Ski Resort and the suburb of Hermosa, this region is home to Durangos best adventures. Being a jerk / offensive? Theres also 2 great, big free BLM camping spots if you head toward Eureka for 5 minutes. The top of Kennebec Pass rises above tree line, providing incredible views of the San Juan mountains in all direction. Running for 535 Heading out of town towards the 4-wheel drive Alpine Loop will take you on an excursion connecting Silverton, Lake City and Ouray through ghost towns and old mining claims. This segment is renowned for high alpine tundra and fields filled with wildflowers in the early summer. However, whats coolest about Silverton isnt the vintage town feel, its the explorations that lie beyond. The Holy Cross Wilderness is a wild and scenic part of the trail that climbs steeply over high ridges and jagged peaks before descending into densely forested valleys. Highest Elevation: 13,271 feet; just below Coney Summit, about 10 miles West ofJarosa Mesa, Lowest Elevation: 5,520 feet; Waterton Canyon terminus in Denver. 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