Narrow Guage Railroad to Silverton
 

We are going to NM in mid-September and are considering going to Durango and taking the train trip to Silverton.

I hope someone who has taken this trip can tell us if it is worth the day it will take and the cost. The trip lasts all day. The train ride is 3 hours each way with a stop in Silverton of about 2 1/2 hours.

We are flying into ABQ, going to Chaco Canyon, and then will visit Taos, Santa Fe, and back to ABQ. We have 7 days for this trip, not including travel days.

Thanks for any advice anyone can give.

Hello,

I think the train ride is definitely worth the cost--the scenery is stunning, especially when the aspens are turning. However, I find the round trip train ride too much. Check into their train one-way and bus one-way idea. I don't believe it is any less expensive, but you see different scenery and the bus ride is not as long.

Have a fun trip.

Linda

We did the trip last June and I agree with Linda that taking the bus back is a good idea. You really are not going to see anything different on the return trip via train. But it was worth it to get the views from the train after driving around via car for the week. My husband enjoyed being a passenger rather than a driver. Be forewarned that the Silverton stop is not very exciting. We did eat lunch and see some of the "sights" like the old jail but most of us we more than ready to get back on the bus.

We wanted to do this trip a few years ago and didn't want to do the all-day round trip. We found a company that would take us to Silverton in an enclosed jeep, then changed to an open-air jeep for an exploration of the high country mining district from whence came the silver ore for which Silverton is named. We then boarded the train for the trip back to Durango. We had some time to explore Silverton on foot between the jeep ride and boarding the train.

Thanks so much for your replies. I read in the tour book that we can take the train up and the bus back. That sounds like a better option than taking the train both ways.

Have not read about doing a jeep tour. Will check into that further. That would be much more fun than riding a bus.

Thanks again for your suggestions!

we did the round trip, and really enjoyed it, sat inside one way, and outside the other.
we ate lunch at "handlebars" (as in moustache) my husband still talks about how good it was

I just want to reply because I have done it once with the bus, and several times the train both directions. IMO they both took all day, and I just didn't care for the bus winding roads and all. If you are prone to car sickness, take the train.

Thanks again for some information to consider. I have read several reviews on Tripadvisor and am still not sure if we will do this trip.

Some people liked the trip, but many others complained about the cramp cars and getting covered with soot on the outside cars. Others weren't impressed with Silverton.

I'm thinking that we might bettter enjoy spending our entire trip seeing New Mexico.

I appreciate all of your suggestions and advice.

I agree with earlier posts: Take the train up to Silverton, but take some other form of transportation back. We did the roundtrip train ride several years ago. The ride up was wonderful, but the ride back was tiresome, especially with several young children in the group.

Ellen

This is steam train trip that is "vintage" equipment.
If you don't enjoy trains or the the opportunity to ride in an antique train thru the mountains then by all means skip it and do something else.
There are only a few of these trains left running in the US and fewer still in such a spectacular location that if you feel driving suits your purpose than by all means drive and miss this part of Americana that you can only experience here.

My husband and I did a trip similar to yours several years ago when we were in our 20's. We car-camped our way through New Mexico, stopping at the same places you plan to stop. The train ride to Silverton was a highlight, and I would highly recommend it. But if I was going to do it again, I'd take the bus back to Durango since a round-trip train ride gets a bit long. We went in late June, and it was cold in Silverton because of the elevation. Bring a jacket!

I tend to agree with others that most people like to take the train one way and the bus/jeep trip the other, although we've taking the train roundtrip twice and think it's a great trip. I agree with joetheday's assessment, but would just like to emphasize that the scenery on this trip is amazing and you won't find it anywhere else. The engineering feat of building this line is hard to fully appreciate. The views are very much worth it IMO.

Don't miss this opportunity--it's a wonderful day and well worth the cost. We took our kids on the train a few years ago and had fun. I'd recommend being in an outdoor car if possible--I walked through the closed cars on the way to the restroom and they seemed stuffy with not as much of a view.

Definitely take the train one way and the bus back--this way you get to see even more scenery. My daughter is prone to car sickness and she didn't have problems on either the train or the bus.

It's worth doing for sure -- depends on how restless you get as to whether you should take the train one-way only. The first time we went we could only get tickets for the way down, and had to take a bus to Silverton. I think I actually liked that trip best.

The next time we rode it both ways, and our train broke down on the way up. Everyone had to get out and wait in the woods until another one came by and picked us up. It wasn't really a problem, but it did limit our time in Silverton.

It should be a beautiful ride in September...

I took the train from Durango to Silverton both ways, which was a mistake. In fact, the whole trip was to me boring. On the other hand, my son, who was 10 at the time, remembers it differently and fondly.

I will say this: The highway from Durango to Ouray is spectacular. I suggest driving it the whole way. Enroute you traverse three scenic passes: Coal Bank, Molas, and Red Mountain.

Take all the side trips off the highway to the overlooks and some of the shorter side roads.

To state my own personal opinion, with all deference to my now adult son's fond memories, I think you would be more thrilled with a jeep tour of Yankee Boy Basin and some of the high mountain ridges near Ouray.

Up there you can see the sights from the heights. If you take the train, you are down in a hole, and look up like you were viewing from the bottom of a well.

Yankee Boy is a high mount basin surrounded by peaks of great grandeur. Having done both, I would go back to Yankee Boy today if I could, but you would not get me back on that train unless I was doing it for my grandson.

I appreciate all of the different perspectives you have given me on this trip and will have to think about it some more. I have a tentative itenerary for our NM trip, but could add an extra day for the train trip or for a driving trip north of Durango.

I have given all of the information to my DD (my traveling companion) and will let her decide. She was the one who first suggested this trip, but she can get bored easily.

My family did it both ways on the train and loved it...hey, everyone is different.

Don't forget to hit the saloon on Main Street...left over the the 1870's. Take in Mesa Verde a little west and tour the Pubelo Indian ruins. Also, Pagosa Springs a little to the east is a beautiful area...some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the entire state are in that area.

We did the train just this past weekend. We only rode it 1/2 way up and 1/2 way back. We did the Soaring (zipline) Adventure. It was Fantastic experience. People of all ages and a lot or repeaters. They only take 40 people per day. BOOK NOW. SOMETHING YOU WILL NOT FORGET. EXPENSIVE AND WORTH EVERY PENNY.
www.soaringcolorado.com or book directly with the train.

We did this a few years ago and I highly recommend taking the bus one way - we took the bus up and the train down. The bus is faster and therefore the only way to take the mine tour, which we enjoyed. My husband and I enjoyed the scenery and narration on both the bus and train segments, but it's long enough that our then five year old fell asleep due to boredom. The seven year old got a cinder in his eye on the train that kind of ruined it for him. So, I'd say the train ride is not that kid friendly for the younger set. Also, one of highlights of our four corners trip was Mesa Verde - we stayed in the park one evening (the restaurant is very good), then toured the cliff dwellings the next day - absolutely amazing. That trip was four years ago, and this area still ranks as one of our best vacations - we're probably going back this summer.