Official Visitor Info

Relive the Wild West on the Historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

For 141 years, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has been transporting passengers through the remote, scenic Rocky Mountain wilderness of the San Juan National Forest.

The Durango Train runs alongside a river in a canyon where the trees are just turning gold for autumn
History and scenic beauty on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
People holding glasses of beer pose in Durango Train windows as the train travels on a cliffside
Enjoying brews and views on the Durango Train
The Durango Train rides along the Animas River during fall time. The very train's engine is out of frame, but in the frame you can see the ten or so orange cabins and the caboose. Beside the train is the Animas River spotted with beige rocks and surrounded by a couple of tall hills laden with green and yellow trees.
Fall colors along the Animas River
In the foreground but out of focus on the left and right bottom of the photo are the shimmering yellow leaves of aspen trees, lit up by the sun. Beyond the trees and in focus in the middle of the photo is the Durango Train, with billowing steam coming from the first car. The cars behind it are orange and curving around a bend in the railroad. Beside the train is vegetation of varying heights and shades of green. In the very background are craggy tree-laden mountains under a blue sky.
Durango Train among yellow aspens
Durango Train snaking along a high cliff in summertime
Durango Train snaking along a high cliff in summertime
Two train engineers in historical 1800s dress lean out slightly from the engine in front of a golden stand of aspens
Train engineers marveling at the golden aspens
The Durango Train chugs along its track beside a rushing river. Along the sides of the tracks are small cliffs of sharp rocks. In the background is a large hill of pine trees underneath a clear blue sky.
Chugging along the river
A group of four people clink beers as they sit on a historical train car with polished wooden walls and ornate carvings
Cheers-ing in the historical 1880s Yankee Girl car
The large Durango Train has steam blowing through the top. The last two cabins in the train visible in the photo are painted pumpkin orange. The sturdy metal tracks that the train is riding along is suspended across a gap between two big rock structures. In the background is a thick grove of dark green pine trees.
Durango Train on the tracks
A vertical photo of the Durango Train's orange cabins on the track. The train stretches around the bend beyond the tall, white, black-speckled aspen trees and the wide, dark-green pine trees. In the background through the leaves, a tall mountainous structure towers in the sky.
Scenic ride through the trees
By: Visit Durango
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This railroad is designated as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service and is also an American Society of Civil Engineering Landmark. The Durango Train is world famous and one of the most popular heritage railroads in North America, offering a unique, affordable, family-friendly travel experience that combines Colorado’s colorful pioneering and mining histories with unparalleled Rocky Mountain beauty.

Listen to the steel wheels sing as you venture alongside the rushing waters of the Animas River and amid the towering peaks of the San Juan Mountains to beautiful Cascade Canyon or the historic mining town of Silverton. Operating year-round, the Durango Train is a unique and wonderful way to witness the changing of the seasons, learn about the rich history of Durango and the state’s railroading industry and experience the dramatic alpine landscapes of southwest Colorado. 

The train travels to Cascade Canyon, located deep in the wilderness of the San Juan Mountains, year-round. From early May through October, the train carries passengers to and from Silverton, a destination that feels like stepping back in time to the Wild West — when gold and silver mining in the area was at its peak. 

While you’re at the Durango Depot, don’t forget to visit the free Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, a 12,000-square foot facility situated in the railyard, housing a carefully curated eclectic collection of artifacts and exhibits that paint a picture of Colorado’s rich railroading and mining histories. Even more interesting, the D&SNGRR Museum is located in one part of the railroad’s roundhouse, the only one of its kind in the world to house authentic narrow-gauge steam locomotives. The museum is open every day the train operates. 

Reservations: 877-872-4607

About Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum
Ride the Cascade Canyon Express
Take the Silverton Steam Train
Hop on the Cascade Canyon Winter Train
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Learn More About The Durango Train's History

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