When you’re looking for adventure, history, and a small town authentic feel then you need to make your way to Silverton, Colorado! I mean visiting Colorado in general is a must, so if you haven’t managed to make your way there (whether driving or flying because both are worth it) then ahem! You really need to put that on your to do list or bucket list or whatever method you have in order to try new things!
Not only is it a quaint little town filled with history, but near by are some great historical markers that you wouldn’t believe until you see for yourself…towards the top of a ridge, on the Southend outskirts of town, are some of the old coal mine spots in addition to some water treatment job sites. Then there’s a trailhead you can take on your 4x4 vehicles or on the ATV’s that you can rent in town. Then the town itself is historical in the age of some of the buildings and also for the fact that they have one of the oldest and still full functional, coal running/engine train! It’s gorgeous and the way it sounds! It’s fascinating to watch how it works, hearing the sounds of an old fashioned train, and the little station where it ends is pretty quirky and unique (well in comparison to some of the newer or more modernized train stops/stations anyway.
Everyone in town is super friendly and welcoming, whether you're a tourist visiting or one of the locals making their pit stop of the day.
The ATV rental is in a pretty old looking building at the entrance of the city, there you can park your car securely while exploring the town or you can enjoy the trailheads and various country roads that intersect the town. Just a heads up there’s literally only one way in and out of the town if you’re wanting to use the main highway/paved road. When I mean country roads I literally mean country roads and NOT like anything you find on the east coast towns or even in Texas, where country roads mean rock/pebble or dirt roads. No country roads in Colorado are more like the “passes” that go through mountains and mountain ridges, you’ll see once you get there but I’ve posted some of the pictures on here of what you’ll find. Some breathtaking gorgeous where others are the “Scary pretty” landscapes. Regardless, nothing in this area will disappoint.
In the middle of town there’s a “diner” of some kind that’s been on the Diners, Drive In’s, and Dives and its pretty good. I dont know what the hype was really all about BUT I know that there was so many people ordering the biscuits and gravy and something else I can’t remember for the life of me, as I write this. When you park or walk to the restaurant you’ll notice the storefront first and then you have to continue to walk back to really see the seating area for the diner. It’s decorated in lots of woods and with a log cabin rustic feel to it. The staff seem to always know everyone that walk in.
The trails that being at the north side of town, that takes you on a winding dirt and rock road up the ridge of some mountainside, only to find at the top the unexpected surprise of another elevation level landscape. What do I mean you may ask, well if you take a look at some of my photos then you’ll notice that you dont even feel like you’re on top of some mountain ridge but basically on another plane, where there’s lush green pastures and more surrounding mountaintops, then the further on the trail you go you’ll find a beautiful natural lake/pond. I highly suggest that you consistently keep an eye on the weather conditions should you take an ATV and not a 4x4 vehicle with heat/AC, because my goodness that dramatic drop in temperatures is significant and could easily get cold - well during the month of August anyway.
The town itself isn’t too far from Durango and Telluride, so I personally would recommend staying at one of those locations and making a day or couple days worth adventure so you can really soak up what this, though small, town has to offer because it definitely has lots! So where it’s say you’ve been, or to enjoy the scenery or to just simply go on an off road adventure - maybe even take a hike or two-this is definitely a place to go….even frequent for some peace and quiet with a taste of adventure!
Oh and if you’re wondering who the man is in the picture and how I even came across this little gem of a city-thats thanks to the recommendation of my ex-husband…hey I don’t care, I’ll admit he was awesome for adventures and new how to plan them too…
Sincerely,
A Distinct Woman
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