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Our next stay after Ouray, was Durango. While we were here, we did two hikes and rode on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (Reporting Marks: DSNG) to and from Silverton. The Durango and Silverton was also my first train ride (other than a couple of zoo trains which, in my opinion doesn't count).

Here is a list of the things we did at Durango:

• Smelter Mountain Trail (Hike)
• Colorado Trail to Gudy's Rest (Hike)
• Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to Silverton (Train Ride)
• Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad back to Durango (Train Ride)

Smelter Mountain Trail (Hike)

Our first hike at Durango was Smelter Mountain Trail. This trail was a difficult trail (mostly because of the little shade) leading to a ridgeline of cell towers providing views of Downtown Durango and the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad's Durango Yard. we were able to see the DSNG Durango Yard right around the time that the trains were heading out to Cascade Canyon and Silverton, which was cool, hearing their whistles and the steam engines' drivers echoing throughout the area. My only problem with this trail was that you were just going up to the top of one mountain, then down 50' to the next ridgeline, then flat, then up 50' to the next peak, and now repeat this over and over again, that is what the trail was like.

Colorado Trail to Gudy's Rest (Hike)

Our next (and last) hike in Durango, was the Colorado Trail to Gudy's Rest. The part of the CT we did is usually the last section people doing the whole trail do (most start in Boulder and end in Durango), although, we ran into no through hikers (granted we were back at the trailhead by 9AM). This part of the CT was a difficult grind to the top of a canyon and then a viewpoint of the surrounding area at the top, with next to no buildings or roads in sight (unlike Smelter Mountain).

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to Silverton (Train Ride)

My first train ride longer than 30 minutes (thus removing zoo and airport trains from the equation) was the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad from Durango to Silverton and back in approximately 9 hours (3.5 hours to Silverton, 2 hours in Silverton, and 3.5 hours back to Durango).

This train went through some of the most scenic sections of the San Juan Mountains where the only way to get to anywhere in the area is via the train - no road extend into the Animas Valley where the train is for most of the time. This train ride passed over one of the most famous views in railroading, The High Line, but unfortunately, we were on the cliff side of the train thus giving us an "amazing" view of a rock cliff! 

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad back to Durango (Train Ride)

After our train arrived in Silverton 3.5 hours after leaving Durango, we ate lunch at a city park and then checked out the local shops during our 2 hour layover during which, it started to drizzle. We boarded the train right when the rain really started to come down and we then rode down (this time the first half or so was "spectacular" views of areas where in the winter there is commonly snow slides and of an "amazing" rock slide or two).

Then after we passed the Tacoma Power Plant (the oldest Power plant in the world still using its original generators) we climbed up the only uphill back to Durango, right after crossing the High Bridge. Then we got the spectacular views of the High Line (this time actually good views!) and then less than a half mile after that, we left San Juan National Forest and started down to Durango (the end of the amazing views). 

Overall, I would 100% do this train ride again, especially the Galloping Goose #5 and other rare locomotives that come to Rail fest and that do operate occasionally other times of the year and the Cascade Canyon Winter Train.