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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 (50 mi) south; rental car needed, roughly 1 h 15 min by road (check)Closest airport, about 50 mi (80 km) south; rental car needed, roughly 1 h 15 min by road (check)
- MTJ · Montrose Regional
- About 110 km (68 mi) north over Red Mountain Pass; winter closures possible (check)About 68 mi (110 km) north over Red Mountain Pass; winter closures possible (check)
- DEN · Denver International
- About 560 km (348 mi); 6–7 h drive via Montrose or Durango (check)About 348 mi (560 km); 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
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
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.