Durango Silverton Railroad - Historic Sites

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Durango Silverton Railroad

Where is the Durango Silverton Railroad?

Durango is located in southwest Colorado, 20 miles north of the Colorado-New Mexico border, at the crossroads of US Highways 160 and 550. Their address is Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
479 Main Ave
Durango, CO 81301

Durango Silverton Railroad Map

Did you know: The city of Durango was founded by the Denver - Rio Grande Railway.

Did you know: The railroad was used for the production of motion pictures like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

The Old West may have been won by soldiers and gunfighters, but it was the mining industry which brought millions of settlers past the Mississippi River to explore the region. The city of Durango, Colorado was founded by the Denver and Rio Grande Railway in 1879; the railroad first arrived there on August 5, 1881 and construction of the line to nearby Silverton began the same year. The rush to the West ensued when gold and silver were discovered in the nearby San Juan Mountains. Over $300 million worth of the precious metals has been transported by the railway.

The mines in the region were largely exhausted by 1895. Yet, the Durango to Silverton Railroad continues to take visitors on coal-fired, steam powered trains through beautiful scenery and historic mines. The Railroad was named a National Historic Landmark in the late 1960's.

Several movies have been filmed in the area using the railroad as a backdrop including "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "Viva Zapata" and "Around the World in Eighty Days". Today the railroad has been refurbished and remains popular with tourists who want to relive the glory days of American railroads, experience the luster of the mining industry and catch a glimpse of life in the Old West amidst some of the most beautiful scenery in the United States. Learn more about the Durango-Silverton Railroad...