Riding Through Winter Aboard the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway

The Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway is one of the most scenic and picturesque railway experiences, and for that reason alone, I have been dreaming of punching my ticket for a ride on the historic rail. Add to that the heritage of the railway that is steeped in gold, and this attraction has long been on my bucket list. When I began planning for a late March trip to fulfill this travel dream, I was shocked to discover that the train was still running the abbreviated winter schedule. While I tried to wrap my Texas-centric brain around the idea of still having snow in April, I looked into whether the winter train would give me the experience that I had hoped for aboard the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway.

In the winter, the heavy snow and threat of avalanche (yikes!) makes the passage all the way to Silverton impossible, but the train does still run a shorter route to Cascade Canyon. The winter steam train travels 26 miles each way for a 5-hour round trip ride through the San Jan National Forest and along the Animas River. Along the way, visitors travel in heated coaches are treated to breathtaking views of the river plunging below the canyon surrounded by mountains shrouded in their winter coat.

~Narrow Gauge Railway preparing for the trip in the Durango station~

When we arrived in Durango, we couldn’t have asked for better weather. The air was slightly crisp, but the sun was shining brilliantly in a crisp blue sky. As we were so close to the cutoff between winter and summer train seasons, I was a little disappointed that the weather seemed so cooperative, but we still wouldn’t get to have the full Durango/Silverton experience. Making the best of it, though, we boarded the train at quarter to ten and we were off.

The first few miles traverse through the city of Durango and are, honestly, underwhelming. There isn’t much scenery or interest outside the slowly moving windows. Just before I started to worry that I had made a mistake in investing a day on the train, we began to see the river below. Then it was just a matter of time before we traversed the majestic High Line curve where we could see dramatic views of the river running rapidly deep below in the canyon.

Because the weather was so lovely, many visitors gathered in the open gondola cars to get an even closer look at the view and snap perfectly framed pictures of the engine steaming along as it navigated the wide turns around the canyon walls.  These views did not disappoint and wiped away any whisper of regret that we weren’t able to take the round trip.

At Cascade Canyon, a roaring bonfire was waiting to warm the disembarking passengers. I’m sure that this covered pavilion is a popular place for lunch during colder weather, but on this sunny day, most people chose to take their lunch down by the river. Pre-ordered box lunches were available from the train, but some ala carte items, including hot dogs were also available for purchase. We had come prepared with a picnic lunch, and enjoyed that quickly before re-boarding the train.

The return trip was as spectacular as the first time, but the novelty had worn off on the kids by this point in the day.  There were plenty of droopy eyes and wiggly bodies by the time the fifth hour onboard the train rolled around. As we reached the last few miles before the depot, fields full of prairie dogs sticking their heads up and down to check out the rumble of train was welcome entertainment.

At the end of the day, we stepped back onto the platform satisfied that the winter train experience hadn’t lacked any of the drama for which the train is so well known. In fact, I had a feeling that the winter train might actually be the preferable experience, and the locals that I spoke with agreed with that line of thinking. The full train ride from Durango to Silverton in the summer lasts up to nine hours, a time period that I know would have been too long for the kids to really have a positive feeling at the end. One of the locals I talked with agreed that many passengers sleep through the entire return trip, as they are exhausted from the long ride up to Silverton and the layover in Silverton.  I was also informed that the winter trains are much less crowded and allow the freedom to move through the cars and enjoy the train in a much more relaxed manner.

In retrospect, I am glad that we were able to experience the train in exactly the way that we were able. An abbreviated ride was best for the family, but it didn’t cost us anything in terms of outstanding views of a beautiful countryside.