Discover Silverton

Silverton combines mining history and historic honors with skiing, hiking, and winter recreation. For trip planning, these topics offer different points of focus: some concern specific historic sites or honors, while others involve terrain, activities, and seasonal conditions. If you’re looking for a hotel for a trip to Silverton, you can first decide which focus and time of year are most important for your stay.

Historic Sites and Honors

The San Juan County Historical Society operates the Mining Heritage Center. In Silverton, the society also operates the 1902 County Jail Museum. The Mayflower Mill has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Silverton itself is now a National Historic Landmark District; the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is also a National Historic Landmark. The designations apply to different entities: individually named landmark sites and Silverton as a district. The Old Hundred Gold Mine Tour includes a ride on a mine train. It also includes a guided tour of the underground mine, as well as panning for gold and silver outside the mine.

Mountain Sports and Winter Recreation

At Silverton Mountain, a single chairlift takes skiers up to an elevation of 12,300 feet. The mountain provides access to a high-alpine environment with 1,819 acres of descents in all directions. The chairlift also allows for easy hikes along a ridge and access to terrain with up to 3,000 feet of vertical drop in a single descent. These figures refer to different measurements: 12,300 feet is the elevation to which skiers are taken; 1,819 acres refers to the descents in all directions; and up to 3,000 feet describes the vertical drop of a single descent.

In winter, Kendall Mountain Ski Area offers family-friendly recreation such as sledding and tubing. These winter activities are seasonal; operating conditions may change. Silverton also has groomed snowmobile trails. Seasonal conditions on these trails may also change. Many hiking trails start in the town of Silverton. Hiking is therefore a distinct planning focus alongside the explicitly winter activities.

OHV Routes and Trip Planning

OHVs are permitted on a limited number of routes in Silverton. The first OHV section of the Alpine Loop starts at an OHV staging area behind the RV park. Local restrictions and staging arrangements may change, so check the latest information on both before setting out.

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad carries passengers to and from Silverton from early May through October. Schedules may change; check the service for your travel dates. Then focus the rest of your trip on history, skiing, hiking, or winter recreation.

For the broader travel overview: San Juan County.