Durango exists because of a railroad and the mines it served

One of the best ways to understand why Durango sits where it does is to ride the railroad that built it. The narrow-gauge line between Durango and Silverton still runs today, carrying passengers up through the steep Animas Canyon on a shelf blasted into the rock above the river. It is a remarkable piece of engineering and a National Historic Landmark, and it remains one of the most loved heritage train rides in America.

That railroad was not built for tourists, though. It was laid in the early 1880s by the Denver & Rio Grande to haul silver and gold ore down from the San Juan Mountain mines to be processed in the valley below.

That purpose shaped the map. Durango grew as the railroad and smelting town at the lower end, while Silverton sat up in the high mining country. The reason a town of Durango’s size grew here at all is mining and the need to move what came out of the mountains.

Knowing that makes the landscape read differently. The river, the canyon, and the tracks are not just scenery; they are the original supply line. Ride the route to Silverton and you travel that history yourself.

For the documented history, see History Colorado and the Colorado Encyclopedia.