The Route - Official Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Train The Route The D&SNGRR travels 45.4 miles each way along the Animas River from Durango to Silverton during our summer season May through October. They just ask that we go inside and let them know our plans. Loved this hike, but directions to trailhead were wrong. Out of the entire Colorado Trail, arguably the most highly-acclaimed portion is the long stretch running from the town of Silverton to the southern terminus of the trail in Durango. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. and fully charged before the trip). "Be sure to plan a day excursion on the Durango & Silverton line," recommends O'Neal Smith. 5/29 Update: I spoke to the Forest Service today. They said that the road from the Junction Creek Trailhead to downtown Durango is narrow and not great for walking. They're available to take orders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, holidays included. Map Key Favorites Check-Ins. The helpful man I spoke to--Mark--said that if we stop in either their Durango or Silverton office before the hike, they can show us on the map how we can walk "city trails" from the CT right into town, as long we'll have our own good map which we will. Not to mention the fact that spending six months on a trail, or even a month or so on the CT, isn't for everyone. You'll also find a complete list of nearly 1200 GPS waypoints in UTM & Lat Long formats. Colorado Trail Silverton to Durango day 1, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. This is an easy answer, since we're just one state over in Arizona: We'll drive. World-class alpine scenery capped with a 4,000-foot descent! 6/3 Update: The Forest Service says the section we'll be doing is now pretty much snow-free above treeline. LGBTQ Housing Voucher Source of Income. Our online interactive maps focus on the last 4 segments of the Colorado trail from Stony Pass East of Silverton, Colorado to its end at the Junction Creek trailhead just outside of Durango, Colorado. What may be t-shirt temps in the valleys can turn into numbing wind and a whiteout at the passes. Tried to walk today from Bolam Pass direction. Alpine ridges, wildflowers as far as you can . A moderate climb about halfway through the descent will keep you honest, and then the shredding continues! My wife and I did nearly the same thing about 2 weeks after you were there. The trailhead (elevation: 6983 ft) is on Junction Creek Road, around 2.5-3.0 miles from downtown Durango (there is also another parking lot that grants access . Silverton via Stony Pass - 26.4%; Durango - 3.9%; Lake City via Spring . Thanks for the info! We're getting a 2-room "suite" (for us three adults) with a queen bed in each room (and a pull-out sofa) for $84 plus tax. Day 2 for these guys started with awesome views and a nice flowy downhill of three miles. Hike the whole thing or take it in these suggested hiking-trail segments over mountains, lakes and towns. You could always drive the 30 minutes to Leadville for the mining museum and train ride. The ticket office for the Silverton train opened at 7am. This segment is renowned for high alpine tundra and fields filled with wildflowers in the early summer. There are no wilderness areas near here, so you can bike the Colorado Trail all the way from here to Durango! On June 20th, we'll then have the train ride back to Silverton, where our car will be. Clear skies. It didn't surprise me at all when I realized it was yours. Hopefully I can get out on some trails when I visit the US later this year! Lone Spur Cafe. The Columbine Ranger District (367 Pearl St., Bayfield, CO 81122; 970-884-2512) of the San Juan National Forest oversees dozens of trails, both for day hikes and backpacking. There are 11 units available for rent starting at $1,522/month. We planned, mapped, prepped, and loaded up to start the journey. The Spanish Trails Inn was well, it was a room. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Then a major climb takes you to Blackhawk Pass, the high point of the trail. Total of 9 days on the trail. Explore the best rated trails in Durango, CO. At the time of year we'll be hiking, the hostel runs $22 to $28 per person per night, including tax. It had been too long since my husband and I had done a multi-day backpacking trip together, and we were really looking forward to our first section-hike on the Colorado Trail. From online reviews I've read, I expect the rooms will be basic but clean. Yes, this is a beautiful part of our lovely state! Remove. I just came across this. Beautiful views, flowers are all out in full bloom, steep ascent to the pass then much easier. Ped Detour july 7 9 detour map July 5 6 8 detour map Cimarron I 25 closures July 2016 It aint easy, but its worth it! 13.7 miles laterwe made it!! I can't search Squidoo about GPS and hiking without encountering your rare articles. Sherry Venegas from La Verne, CA on June 21, 2012: Looking good after the photo rearrangement. Hike back. In a state known for its trails, The Colorado Trail is Colorado's premier long distance trail. To access data, select a station from the map or the drop-down menu. The top of Kennebec Pass rises above tree line, providing incredible views of the San Juan mountains in all direction. We took our time as we were not on a constricted time frame. Section-hiking requires travel to and from the trail multiple times if you do multiple sections. The Colorado Trail is a long-distance trail extending for 486 miles from the mouth of Waterton Canyon southwest of Denver to Durango in Colorado. At the time, it was 72 degrees Fahrenheit in Durango, while it was 36 degrees in Silverton! Weather UV Index Tuesday 29 / 8 F Wednesday 26 / 14 F Thursday 20 / 12 F 5/29/09 Update: Okay, we're all set. Most easily distinguished as the location of Purgatory Ski Resort and the suburb of Hermosa, this region is home to Durango's best adventures. But he needed to resupply in Silverton, staying at the hostel there one night. With nearly 500 miles of length from Denver Metro to Durango, it may take up to six weeks to complete its entire length. The average elevation is over 10,000 feet and the highest elevation is over 13,000 feet. Map & Directions Map Coordinates: 37.770467, -107.805276 Trailwork help build our trails! I emailed the Town of Silverton at info@silvertoncolorado.com with this question and got a same-day response. We woke up with under 50 miles to get to Durango. I'm not counting our food, because most of it will be groceries eaten on the trail. 465.9 - accessible via 171 (See more details below.) Long, steep ascents and descents, particularly around the San Juans. This stretch will give you great views of the La Plata and southern San Juan Mtns - Grand Turk, Engineer, Twin Sisters, Twilight, Hesperus And in the Summer, you are waist-deep in wildflowers for most of the trail !! Steve will carry the tent, while I'll carry a lightweight "all weather" space blanket, which has grommets so I can rig it as a tarp using my nylon cord and hiking poles. The Colorado Trail on Trails.comClick on the map for information by section. Gudy attended the first focus meeting about a trail from Denver to Durango in 1974 and never missed a meeting in those early days of the CT. , Plenty of hikers use the train to get up into the San Juans.One way scheduled trains take 3 hours , Elk Park is the last siding, wye, and flagstop before Silverton. @KathyMcGraw2: Same here, im really enjoying reading about these trips. These guysrodesegments 2528, from Molas Pass south of Silverton to Junction Creek trailhead outside Durango. only hiked through two or three snow patches that were easily managed with trekking poles. Answer 1 of 7: We (a late-middle aged couple) are planning to visit this part of Colorado in early June next year. We have had a very wet spring you are right. I think it will be my 50th b-day present to myself. Brilliant. Lot 5043 Siksika Trail, . Our final full day of hiking had arrived. Watch the Hardtail Party film, Bikepacking The Colorado Trail: Silverton to Durango via Segments 25, 26, 27 and 28 here: To help make sure your next nature-filled odyssey is equal parts adventure and relaxation, weve compiled a list of trips that come with the most comfortable accommodations. "The 10 miles of downhill from the top of Blackhawk Mountain is some of the best there is, writes John Robinette on DurangoBikeTours.com. 379 reviews. If you can plan more time for this hike and give yourself a buffer, I'd highly recommend doing so, so you don't have to hike more miles to "make up time." It's along these high-clearance roads where you'll find most of our recommendations. Thank you for sharing this lense. One of my all time favorite back packs for sure. The train has been running for over 120 years, yet the Durango railroad depot looks the same as when it was constructed in 1882. You can choose the optimal time of year to hike a section. Camping along the trail. The summit of Engineer Mountain towers over this entire region, rising to an elevation of 13,218 feet. See the most recent reviews. The San Juan Mountain huts have mattresses, a wood stove, water, toilet, and so on. Mary Beth Granger from O'Fallon, Missouri, USA on May 02, 2011: This looks like a great trail for both hiking and mountain bike riding. Colorado. Deb Kingsbury (author) from Flagstaff, Arizona on September 16, 2013: planning a hike this summer (2014) from Silverton to Durango! Through hikers intending to stop at Molas Lake should be aware that they will hike 2.5 miles from there to the "start" of CT-25. Before getting to the Million Dollar Highway at Molas Pass, there's a short side-trail that leads to Molas Lake Campground. They took down our names and a contact phone number and the date we expected to return. http://www.bigloopmaps.com/ This map includes turn by turn directions for this ride and many that are just like it. 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