10/02/2026
Durango didn’t just grow up around the river—it grew up around the rails. On August 5, 1881, the Denver & Rio Grande reached town to connect the booming gold and silver mines of the San Juan Mountains to the rest of the country.
Less than a year later, the narrow-gauge line pushed deep into the high country. The first passenger train reached Silverton on July 4, 1882—an Independence Day arrival that turned a remote mining camp into a place you could actually get to.
Here’s the wild part: the Durango depot you depart from today was built in 1882, so modern riders are stepping into essentially the same station early miners and prospectors used.
The route runs about 45 miles along the Animas River, threading through tight mountain curves and steep terrain on purpose—narrow-gauge engineering made the impossible possible. One of the most dramatic spots is the Highline, a ledge blasted into the cliff roughly 400 feet above the gorge, where the train clings to the canyon wall with unforgettable views.
And unlike most historic railways, this one never truly stopped. It’s operated continuously since 1882 and still runs coal-fired steam locomotives on that original mountain alignment—so it looks, sounds, and feels like the 1880s.
If you stayed at Junction West Durango Riverside Resort, would you ride the train for the history, the scenery, or both? Save this for your Durango trip—and when you check in, ask our team at Junction West Durango Riverside Resort for a few “don’t-miss” history moments to listen for on the ride.
