It was a fun ride and very scenic. I got some great pictures.

Two very important things. Don't wear white or light-colored clothes and take the bus back.

You'll be glad you took my advice.

Beautiful, relaxing trip through the San Juan National Forest. We rode in the Parlor car which is an enclosed car, and so glad we did. For August, it was quite cool, plus we weren't covered in cinders when we reached Silverton (It's an actual coal-fired engine). Some of the windows were open for the first hour, but we ended up closing all of them because it was too cold. Definitely wear, at least, pants that the legs zip on or off and take a jacket, especially if you decide to take the open cars. The people I saw looked very cold when we arrived in Silverton.

The Parlor car provides a breakfast of fresh coissants, afternoon snack of cheese, fruit, and crackers, and soda, coffee, and tea. There's also a cash bar. (Of course, there's two bathrooms in the car.) We had a fabulous attendant - she was extremely friendly and knew a lot of the history of Durango, and places to go and see. The only negative thing I can think of is that you can't go into the other cars from the Parlor car to look around.

I thought Silverton was a disappointment. I had heard it was an artist colony. All I saw was tourist shops. What made up for it was dessert at the Handlebars restaurant! Recommended by our train attendant, the peach cobbler is absolutely fantastic! The regular fare was decent (burgers - including buffalo - and fries), but skip that and order 2 cobblers for yourself. The waitress tried to tell us that one would be enough for the four of us - INSANE! So we ordered two, expecting to share. We ended up dueling with our spoons to determine who would get to eat to largest share. Better yet, you can buy the mix and take some home with you.

I definitely recommend taking the bus back to Durango. It is a long trip back on which I assumed I would be able to nap. The ride was very jerky, so napping was out of the question. Plus, I believe the bus returns to Durango about 2 hours before the train returns.

All in all, it's a fabulous experience and I highly recommed it!

We recently did the train trip from Durango to Silverton and find it a beautifully scenic experience. We booked an open car to better enjoy the outdoors and I think it really gave you a better bang for the buck than sitting inside with windows that only partially open. We opted in advance for a bus ride back and were really glad we did as each way on the train is about 3-1/2 hrs. Way too long for me and we were quite tired upon our return. But all in all great fun and I'd definitely recommend it.

The Durango to Silverton narrow gauge train ride is a trip that is not to be missed. Much of the trip is through areas of the mountains and backcountry where the train is the only way in or out. Keep in mind that cold rain and even snow is a possibility virtually any month of the year at 9000 feet, so if you ride in one of the open gondola cars, dress appropriately!