Silverton Colorado

Silverton Magazine - Silverton, Colorado

LOST IN A HIGH and stunning glacier-carved wilderness that will leave you, quite literally, breathless—San Juan County has the highest mean elevation of any county in the United States! And her mountains have been voted a “Top 10 Adventure Destination” by National Geographic, Outside and Skiing magazines.

Moreover, “Silverton has more year-round access to more alpine back country than any town, anywhere, including Alaska,” notes one local guide.

When exploring the high country around Silverton, your two biggest decisions will be: where do I go, and how do I get there? Both offer a multitude of choices.

You don’t have to be a mountain goat or extreme athlete to glimpse this alpine wonderland—the San Juans are criss-crossed by a 500-mile network of some of the country’s best four-wheel drive roads, linking Silverton to surrounding towns by jeep trails winding through gleefully mountainous scenery. If you choose to take a guided tour, your driver will be happy to cater to whatever your interest may be—mining ruins and ghost towns, geology, wildflowers, alpine lakes, and waterfalls. These people are experts on the history and highlights of the area, and can’t wait to share their stories with you.

Or, rent your own jeep from one of several outfits in town. If you opt for the latter, you might keep in mind the humble advice on a sign that once was posted at the outset of Black Bear Pass: “You don’t have to be crazy to drive this road...but it helps.” When you return, celebrate by buying yourself one of the tee-shirts that proclaims: “I survived Black Bear!” Without doubt, you will have earned it. All-terrain-vehicles and dirt bikes are tailor-made for high country exploration, too. he San Juans offer plenty of scenic trails. Bring your own, rent one, or take a guided tour—presently San Juan Backcountry is the only company offering guided ATV tours. Both they and Red Mountain Motel anrent ATVs.

If you’re not a motorhead, consider hiking or biking. Gloriously scenic San Juan County is a great place for both. If you prefer to go quietly, but with a little less effort, guided horseback tours are also available.

Regardless of your preferred mode of transport, you’re in for an unparalleled visual treat when you decide which trail to travel. The choices are as splendorous and varied as a field full of wildflowers. The Colorado Trail and Continental Divide Trail both wend their way through the Weminuche Wilderness to the south of town.

Ghost towns and remnants of the mining boom days are connected by a series of underground tunnels and above ground trails, some of them topping 12,000 feet! Be sure to bring your camera. Even a little instamatic point-and-shoot will do, but for the semi-serious or professional photographer, this is serious scenery. You’ll want your best photographic equipment and plenty of film or memory cards. San Juan Tours offers professional photographic guidance and a portable history lesson as tour guides take you into the San Juan Mountains and walk you through Silverton and neighboring Ouray.

If you’re looking for a thrill, check out the “downhill free riding” at Silverton Mountain, an extreme back country ski area six miles northwest of Silverton—ride the chairlift up, fly your bike down. Helmet not optional. The chairlift is open for scenic rides all summer, carrying passengers up Storm Peak to the breathless elevation of 12,300 feet (bring a jacket). There is a “beer garden” up top, consisting of a small shack and some simple benches, but this seems dwarfed, and extraneous, compared to the wild glory of the scenery all around you.
So however you go and wherever you go in Scenic San Juan County, you’ll be making visual memories that will last a lifetime.