Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

“Great way to visit Silverton and see gorgeous mountain scenery along the way. I took the "gondola car" (both directions) and it suited me nicely. The outward-facing bench seat means _every_ seat is a window seat (vs. in the enclosed cars, where not everyone gets to be by a window). Downsides of being out of the enclosed cars: weather (hot, cold, or otherwise) and exhaust fumes. If you can handle those things then you might as well get the full experience. But you still have access to concessions and to the restroom like everyone else. It is a long ride, with a few hours in Silverton, so if you ride the train both ways be prepared for a full day. For a family with smaller children, the train up and bus back might be a better option just to shorten the duration. Photographers: you don't have much time to compose and shoot, so you kind of have to anticipate things coming up. Ask a conductor, they're really helpful and knowledgable at where your best shots might happen. Your wide angle lens maybe has a better chance; you can miss by a little and fix it later with a crop.”

“Absolutely gorgeous scenery. I am afraid of heights so I didnt make it a point to purposely go to the edge and look over when we were up on the mountain. However, due to the way the trail was made, we turned around and went back down through the same way, which was nice because I did get to see the views, just without moving from my seat, which scared me the most. Everything that I saw was beautiful and I would take this train again to see everything. Highly recommended!”

“Great trip. First 1/2 of trip has the most dramatic views of the right side with 400' drops over the river. September tree colors were great. Seeing it ìn March there was snow and that was our favorite trip. Only got to go 1/2 waybecause of snow but it was the best and less expensive. Silverton is a fun little town.”

“The scenery! The smells. Fresh air. Beautiful creatures. Waterfalls. Pack a lunch. The train food is limited and expensive. Good for a cup of coffee (and the train coffee is good) or a bag of crisps. Lovely people work on the train. Hope I can return.”