Silverton feels like a mining camp that never quite left the 1800s: a colorful National Historic Landmark town at 9,318 feet, ringed by 13,000-foot San Juan peaks, where the steam train from Durango ends its run and the Million Dollar Highway begins.

Silverton grew up on silver and gold in the 1870s and 1880s, and its historic downtown still looks the part, with false-front saloons, brick hotels and brightly painted storefronts along Greene Street, the main drag. The whole town is a National Historic Landmark. Walk a few blocks to see the ornate Grand Imperial Hotel, the clock-towered San Juan County Courthouse and the old Silverton depot, then look up: peaks rise in every direction. In summer the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad pulls into town, and visitors spill out to explore before the return trip.

Silverton sits on the San Juan Skyway, and the stretch north to Ouray is the famous Million Dollar Highway. Jeep roads climb from town into the Alpine Loop, with the ghost town of Animas Forks about 12 miles up the valley. Summer brings Jeeping and OHV riding, hiking into the Weminuche Wilderness, fishing, mountain biking and rafting. Winter is wild and quiet. Silverton gets about 175 inches of snow a year, and people come for extreme and backcountry skiing, snowcat and heli-skiing, cross-country skiing, ice climbing, snowshoeing, ice fishing and snowmobiling. Kendall Mountain, the town’s own ski hill, is a small, friendly spot for families.

Insider tip: Many attractions close in the shoulder seasons. The Mining Heritage Center reopens around Memorial Day weekend 2027, and the Old Hundred Gold Mine tour ended its season on October 15. Check road conditions on US 550 before driving over Red Mountain or Molas Pass in winter.

Kendall Mountain is tentatively scheduled to open for the 2026/27 season on December 5, 2026, depending on natural snow, with Friday-Sunday hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Coming up in town: judging and celebration for the Great Furniture Build Off on November 13. Note that the Silverton Visitor Center is closed in November and December and reopens in January (Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.). See the Silverton Chamber calendar for events.