Silverton Colorado

Silverton has been called a lot of things, “a gritty little mining town with Victorian pretensions” being one, but it has endured since the 1800′s and is a remarkable destination. Some of the richest and most influential men of the 19th century in America spent time in this little town. It’s been known as “The stomping ground of silver kings and railroad giants.” Silverton is linked to Durango by the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a national historic landmark, and has the distinction of being one of the highest towns in the United States, at 9,305 feet above sea level. It also boasts the highest ski area in North America with a peak of 13,487 feet – the extreme ski area of Silverton Mountain.

More Silverton Colorado Facts

Region: Southwest	County: San Juan
Latitude: 37.812545	Longitude: -107.662994	Elevation: 9,305 ft. (2,836 m)

Back in 1860, gold prospectors came into the San Juan Mountains to seek their fortunes. Among them was Charles Baker, who found gold and silver deposits on the Animas River. The area was later named for him and called “Baker’s Park”. Because the rich mineral deposits were officially on Ute Indian land, and the civil war was starting up, miners didn’t return to the area until 1870. When they did come back, almost 1,000 prospectors swarmed over the land. Silverton was born in 1874 and legally began as mining camps with some hardy men from around the world seeking wealth, but with the railroad operated by the Denver & Rio Grande coming to town in July 1882, the population soared to 2,000 and 400 buildings were constructed.

All that went with establishing a town began around 1875, a post office, sawmills, stores, blacksmiths, newspaper, and an assay office. It was a difficult life to say the least in this high altitude, rough mining town. Health ailments were common, and many also died from snowslides and mining accidents. Even the Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1918 took the lives of 138 people. Some men brought their wives and families to live in Silverton, establishing a part of the town which was thought to be respectable. “The other side of town held the red light district and the gambling saloons and hotels on what became known as Notorious Blair Street. The lewd behavior was tolerated and in fact brought a stream of income not only to the prostitutes but the city who benefited from the fines imposed and collected.” For modern day visitors, Silverton’s first Town Hall’s shell can still be seen on Notorious Blair Street next to the blue information booth.

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Local Silverton Attractions

Silverton Brass Band
“Sunday evenings, June through September (weather permitting) at 6pm in the streets of Silverton playing old time favorites for 27 years.”

Silverton Gun Fighters
“Relive the Wild West with staged gunfights on 13th and Blair Streets.
Thursday – Saturday and Holidays at 5:30pm (weather permitting) Memorial Day through Labor Day.”

A Theatre Group
“Silverton’s own theatre company, invites you to see a play Silverton-style. This mountain grown theatre company offers a variety of entertaining productions throughout the year.” call 970-387-5337 or www.atheatregroup.org

Mining Heritage Center

“Visit the Silverton Museum, County Jail and the NEW Mining Heritage Center. The Museum contains three floors of exhibits, the jail’s original four-cell block built in 1902, ball and chain and women’s cell. Silverton’s Mining Heritage Center features artifacts from the San Juan County’s fabled mines, including a unique log boardinghouse, tram towers, mining artifacts and a fabulous mineral display.” – Open daily 9am-5pm Memorial Day through Labor Day; 10am-3pm in October. Get two museums for the price of one! Admission is $5.00; FREE for kids 12 and under. call 970-387-5838 or www.silvertonhistoricalsociety.org

Mayflower Gold Mill Tour
“Take a self-guided tour of this once operational gold mill and see how gold and silver were processed after the ore came out of the mine. Visit the Aerial Tram house, where the buckets and tram system are still in place. Open daily 10am-5pm Memorial Day through Labor Day”.

Admission is $8.00; $7.50 for senior citizens; FREE for kids 12 and under. Guided tours available by reservation only. call 970-387-0294 or www.silvertonhistoricalsociety.org

Old Hundred Gold Mine Tour
“Go underground in a real gold mine! A mine train will take you 1,500 feet into the actual mining operation for mining demonstrations. You’ll see what it was like to search for the elusive treasure. The old mining equipment is still in place, awaiting another opportunity to strike it rich. Tours depart every hour on the hour, 10am-4pm daily, May through October. No reservations are needed. Be sure to arrive early to purchase your tickets. FREE gold panning with the purchase of a tour. A covered picnic area is available for your convenience.” 1-800-872-3009 or www.minetour.com

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
“Established in 1881, this authentic steam-powered, coal-fired scenic railroad makes daily trips through the remote mountains between Durango and Silverton. Be sure to include an overnight stay in Silverton when making your train excursion plans. Overnight stays and bus options are easily arranged, as is riding the train to access the Weminuche Wilderness Area for hiking and backpacking in the Animas Canyon. Ranked one of the “Top 10 Scenic Railroads in the World”. Silverton service runs only May-October, but the train does operate year-round with other excursions to Cascade. call 1-888-872-4607 or www.durangotrain.com

Bar D Chuckwagon Suppers
“Delicious chuckwagon supper and great western stage show since 1969. Open rain or shine, Memorial Weekend through Labor Day. Songs and stories by the Bar D Wranglers. Western town & train ride. A real western experience for the entire family.” Open daily at 5:30pm. Reservations required. 888-800-5753 or 970-247-5753 www.bardchuckwagon.com

Stage Coach Rides
“Taking off from Old Town Square located at 1115 Blair Street, enjoy a historic loop around Silverton in an authentic reproduction stagecoach. Operates Memorial Weekend through Labor Day.”

Silverton Hillside Cemetery
“The historic and ruggedly beautiful Hillside Cemetery in Silverton is a gem in the rough! The graves, marked and unmarked, reveal the colorful history of the area. Featured on this web site is a complete alphabetical index of more than 3,000 documented San Juan County burials. The earliest known county burial was in 1872; the earliest known cemetery burial was in 1875.” http://www.silvertonhillside.com/

Of course there are lots of other things to do and see in the area! Click on any of the links below to find more activities.