Silverton, CO

Silverton is a small historic mining town in San Juan County in southwestern Colorado, perched high in the San Juan Mountains at roughly 9,300 feet elevation. The town has a permanent population of around 600 residents and retains the weathered character of a 19th-century silver boomtown, with wood-frame false-front buildings lining a single main street. Silverton is best known as the northern terminus of one of the country's most famous heritage railroads and as a basecamp for high-alpine adventure, and it sits roughly 50 miles north of Durango, the nearest city of any real size, and about 300 road miles southwest of Denver.

The most famous attraction connected to Silverton is the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a heritage steam train that has been running between the two towns since the early 1880s and today operates primarily as a tourist excursion. The full journey takes the better part of a day each way and winds through the Animas River Gorge, with passengers able to ride one direction and bus back, or stay overnight in Silverton. Closer to town, visitors often take jeep tours up to the historic ghost town of Animas Forks or down into the Old Hundred Gold Mine, both of which depart from Silverton and offer a tangible sense of the area's mining heritage. In winter, Silverton Mountain operates as one of the most extreme lift-served ski areas in North America, drawing expert skiers and snowboarders to steep, largely unpatrolled terrain that has hosted several major ski film segments.

Just down the Million Dollar Highway, the neighboring town of Ouray is about 50 minutes south of Silverton and is built around a dramatic box canyon with natural hot springs, while the surrounding San Juans offer access to the Weminuche Wilderness, the largest designated wilderness area in Colorado. Hikers, anglers, and off-road enthusiasts use Silverton as a staging ground throughout the summer, and the Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway passes through town on its way over several high mountain passes.

Silverton's combination of genuine Old West atmosphere, dramatic alpine scenery, and proximity to a deep bench of well-known regional draws — from the narrow-gauge railroad to the icefields of the San Juans — makes it a natural fit for travelers looking for an off-the-beaten-path Colorado experience. For owners, the town's small footprint, limited lodging supply, and concentration of seasonal visitation tied to a few marquee attractions create a market where short-term rentals can perform well for guests who want both the basecamp and the destination in a single stay.