Durango, Silverton & Ouray, CO

by Durene Scott · November 16, 2024

Our boondocking site for the night was picture-perfect. Wouldn’t you agree? We wanted to stay longer, but Colorado was calling us.

Durango—The train ride from Durango to Silverton is the number one tourist attraction. We met several people who said the ride was beautiful but suggested taking the bus back. The round trip was an all-day affair, and that is a long time to get trainbound. We decided to ditch the train and take the Million Dollar Highway to Ouray with a stop at Silverton. The views along this 25-mile stretch were worth a “million dollars.” However, while the vistas are outstanding, it is also a treacherous, windy road with steep grades, narrow lanes, and no guard rails. These are the times when I wish we had a mini cooper instead of a massive dually. Enjoy the slideshow of some gorgeous pictures taken along the highway. P.S. We stopped several times to enjoy the views.

Silverton – Is a historic mining town established in 1874 and it enjoyed its mining boom until 1910. Walking the town , it is everthing one would envision of an old western town.

Ouray – This town was busy as the 2024 Imogene Pass Run had concluded. This running race is 17.1 miles through the San Juan Mountains. It starts in Ouray and with an elevation gain of 3,100 feet has its finish line in the town of Telluride. Pretty grueling race in my opinion. We walked the town, lunched and headed back to Durango.

Mesa Verde National Park – The pueblo people built these amazing communities in the mountain cliffs over 700 years ago. We were fortunate to have a Pueblo native as a tour guide. This was a plus as he gave us insight into his heritage and the culture of his people. At one point, there were 40,000 people living in the various cliff dwellings. It amazed us how after all these years the homes are still standing, which showed us the skills of the engineers that built them. We learned that there were several kiva’s in each of the communities. Kiva’s were sacred and it is where many religious ceremonieswere held.. Below are several of the dwellings within the park.