Round-trip rail day
Sleep in Durango, board at the assigned morning departure, use the published Silverton layover, and return on the same ticket.
Plan Your Trip
Getting to Silverton
Arrival map
Durango sets up the Silverton arrival.
This map shows the main arrival choices before the rest of the trip gets locked in. Durango is the primary approach to compare first. Ouray is the helpful backup or add-on choice. The lines are planning corridors, not turn-by-turn road geometry, so use live directions before you drive.
- Tap a marker to see how each town fits the drive.
- Solid line is the main approach; dashed lines are alternate regional approaches.
Silverton sits on US 550 between Durango and Ouray and at the end of the historic rail line from Durango. Travelers can use the train for a round trip, stay overnight in town, or bring a vehicle for a separately verified high-country route.
By Train from Durango (Recommended)
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is the most iconic way to arrive — a 45-mile steam train journey through the Animas River canyon on a line dating to 1882. Current 2026 round trips leave Durango in the morning, take about 3.5 hours each way, and include a nearly two-hour Silverton layover; exact departures vary by date.
The rail alignment enters Animas Canyon far from US 550. Hikers can reach limited wilderness access points under separate rules, but a car does not follow the train through the canyon.
Compare the dated schedule, equipment class, cancellation terms, and remaining inventory directly at durangotrain.com.
Full Railroad Guide →By Car — The Million Dollar Highway
US 550 reaches Silverton from Durango over Coal Bank and Molas passes. The especially exposed Million Dollar Highway section continues north from Silverton toward Ouray, with steep grades, tight curves, and limited shoulders. Durango is roughly 49 miles away, but weather, construction, traffic, and stops make a fixed one-hour promise unreliable.
Check before departure: Use COtrip for pass cameras, incidents, construction, traction rules, and closures. Summer does not guarantee an unrestricted road, and the train is not a flexible substitute for a road itinerary because it follows a fixed timetable.
Driving Distances to Silverton
- Durango49 mi via US 550
- Ouray24 mi via US 550 south
- TellurideAbout 50 mi via US 550 and CO 62/145
- CortezAbout 85 mi via US 550 and US 160
- DenverAbout 348 mi; route varies by conditions
Getting Around Silverton
The historic core is compact enough to handle on foot after parking. High-country roads are a separate decision: requirements differ by route and segment, and an ordinary rental agreement may prohibit the road even when a county lists it as open. Use a qualified guide when the vehicle, recovery equipment, or route experience is uncertain.
Do not plan around on-demand rideshare. Private transfer operators may be available by advance arrangement, while the train runs only on its published dates and times. Confirm the return leg before arriving without a vehicle.
Match arrival and departure before booking the room
Silverton overnight
Arrive by road or book a specific one-way rail product plus a confirmed transfer. A round-trip ticket does not create an overnight stop by itself.
High-country day
Keep the passenger car in town and use a qualified guide unless every county segment, vehicle rule, weather check, and rental term supports the planned route.
Live sources for the travel day
Recheck these after the forecast window begins; a July site refresh cannot certify tomorrow's pass, railroad, or county-road status.