In southwest Colorado you will find the perfect formula for a Small Town Americana experience. Mountains, the autumn colors of aspen trees, and the steam of century old trains traveling into the high country. Such is the magic of Durango, Colorado and it’s twin city of Silverton. Back in the day, these were classic mountain mining towns. The trains used to pull the ore out of the San Juan Mountains. Yet as the mines began closing, the tourists just started showing up and they haven’t stopped coming ever since. The ride north out of Durango over the mountains down into Silverton — a 40 mile journey through thick Aspen groves, is textbook bucket list. And if you time the colors just right, you might never want to leave.

The Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has been around for more than a century — started in the 1880’s. It uses many of the original trains and steam engines that ran during the mining days. It’s a trip back to the old days — and into the high country — that has trilled people from around the world for years.