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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Silverton
Silverton, Colorado
Stay 1–2 nights: arrive by the Durango train or drive US 550, walk Greene Street, and use a jeep for the passes. Skip if you want nightlife or a big menu.
Silverton is a former mining town at about 2,800 m (9,300 ft) in San Juan County, reached by the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad or by car on US 550, the Million Dollar Highway. The historic core is walkable in an hour; the real draw is the surrounding high country, the train and a small expert ski area. One or two nights is enough, and the altitude is the main thing to plan around.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Silverton, Colorado
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for hiking and driving; Feb–Mar for Silverton Mountain
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr for road trips (snow and closures); Jul–Aug afternoon thunderstorms
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$90–140 excl. bed · Mid US$140–220 excl. bed · High US$220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Colorado Road Conditions 511
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | US$3–6 |
| Breakfast or lunch plate | US$12–20 |
| Dinner main | US$18–35 |
| Draught beer | US$6–9 |
| Jeep rental, one day | US$200–350 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | US$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DRO · Durango–La Plata County
- Closest airport, about 80 km south; rental car needed, roughly 1 h 15 min by road (check)Closest airport, about 50 mi south; rental car needed, roughly 1 h 15 min by road (check)
- MTJ · Montrose Regional
- About 110 km north over Red Mountain Pass; winter closures possible (check)About 68 mi north over Red Mountain Pass; winter closures possible (check)
- DEN · Denver International
- About 560 km; 6–7 h drive via Montrose or Durango (check)About 348 mi; 6–7 h drive via Montrose or Durango (check)
Typical fares
- Durango & Silverton train, round trip
- about US$130, 3.5 h each way (check)
- Silverton → Ouray by car
- about 1 h over Red Mountain Pass
- Silverton → Durango by car
- about 1.5 h over two passes
Get around
The town is small enough to cross on foot in minutes; allow extra time at this elevation. For the passes and ghost-town roads, rent a high-clearance jeep from a local outfitter — ordinary cars are fine on US 550 itself but not on the side routes.
See and do
Known for
- Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
- Million Dollar Highway (US 550)
- Historic Greene Street and Blair Street
- Silverton Mountain ski area
- Hardrock Hundred endurance run
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ouray | Drive US 550 north over Red Mountain Pass | About 1 h |
| Durango | Drive US 550 south over Coal Bank and Molas passes, or ride the narrow-gauge train one way | 1.5 h by car; 3.5 h by train |
| Telluride | Drive via Ridgway and CO 62, or the seasonal jeep route over Ophir Pass | About 2 h |
| Mesa Verde National Park | Drive south via Durango, then west | About 3 h |
| Cortez | Drive via Durango and US 160 | About 3 h |
Sleep
- Greene Street and downtown
- Historic hotels and inns, walkable to the depot, shops and most restaurants.
- Blair Street
- One block east of Greene; a few historic buildings with rooms and a bar-restaurant.
- US 550 edges of town
- Motels and RV parks with parking; better if you arrive by car with gear.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the trailhead? | Where is the trailhead? |
| Is the pass open? | Is the pass open? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| I need water. | I need water. |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Altitude: the town sits near 2,800 m; sleep the first night low if you can, drink water and skip alcohol on arrival.
- Afternoon thunderstorms in summer above treeline; start hikes early and be off exposed ridges by early afternoon.
- US 550 over Red Mountain Pass can close in winter storms; check Colorado road conditions before driving north.
- Restaurants and shops keep short and seasonal hours; call ahead in the shoulder season.
- Cell coverage is patchy outside town.
A small, low-crime mountain town. The real risks are altitude sickness, summer lightning above treeline and winter driving over the passes: acclimatise, start early and check road conditions.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Silverton yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
- Million Dollar Highway (US 550)
- Historic Greene Street and Blair Street
- Silverton Mountain ski area
- Hardrock Hundred endurance run
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Silverton official visitor site: www.silvertoncolorado.com/
- Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: www.durangotrain.com/
- Silverton Mountain: www.silvertonmountain.com/
- Colorado Department of Transportation — road conditions: www.cotrip.org/
- Wikivoyage: Silverton (Colorado), revision 4107274 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4107274
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
SilvertonSilverton, Colorado
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulates in town; nearest are in Denver.
Altitude first: if you feel a headache and nausea on arrival, rest and descend if it worsens.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/silverton-colorado). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.