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What I Tell Every Guest Before They Board the Narrow Gauge

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 21:56:19 GMT

A local innkeeper's practical guide to getting the most out of your D&SNGRR experience.

There is one conversation I have with nearly every guest who is visiting during the summer season. When they call or arrive, and mention they are thinking about the train, I lean in a little because this is something I genuinely care about getting right for them. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is not just a scenic ride. It is the MOST scenic ride in America! And a full day, so how you plan it matters more than most people expect.

Book Before You Leave Home

I will say this plainly: if you are visiting Durango in summer and you have any interest in riding the train, book your seats before you leave home. June through September is peak season, and the D&SNGRR fills up weeks in advance. I have watched guests arrive at the depot on a Tuesday morning, hopeful, and walk away disappointed because every car was sold out through the weekend.

The railroad offers a few different trip options. The full round trip to Silverton runs about nine hours. That sounds like a long time, but the route through the Animas River canyon earns every minute of it. The train climbs out of Durango and works its way north through Ponderosa pine forest, then into the deeper canyon where the river runs tight against the rock walls and the track seems almost impossibly narrow. By the time you reach Silverton, sitting at 9,318 feet, you understand why people flock to Durango to make this spectacular trip. This option is basically 3 ½ hours on the train to Silverton, 2 hours off the train in Silverton, and 3 ½ hours return trip on the train. The train takes the same route to and from Silverton. It is a very long day, with about 7 hours of sitting. Perfect for train enthusiasts, and first timers to the area and on the train.

If nine hours feels like too much for your group, you can choose a one way ride on the train either to or from Silverton, and bust (part of the trip booking) the other way. This cuts your day by at least 2 hours. You have the same trip through the Animas Valley to or from Silverton, and have the scenic bus ride for the other part of the journey.

The Cascade Canyon Express is a shorter option at around five and a quarter hours. It does not go all the way to Silverton, but it covers the most dramatic scenic section of the canyon and works well for families with younger children or guests who have other plans for the afternoon. This is the only option in the winter months, and it is also offered at other times during the season.

Choosing Your Car and Your Seat

This is where I can save you some real frustration. The train runs on the west side of the Animas River for much of the journey heading north, which means the best canyon views are generally from the right side of the car when you are seated facing forward. If you can request right-side seating when you book, do it.

The open gondola cars are popular in July because the weather is usually warm and clear in the morning. You get unobstructed views and you can hear the engine working. Wear something you do not mind getting a little dusty, and keep a layer handy. Even in July, the canyon can be cooler than you expect once the train climbs in elevation, and afternoon thunderstorms are common in the mountains this time of year. I always suggest guests carry a light rain jacket in their bag.

The enclosed coaches are comfortable and have large windows. They are a good choice if you are traveling with someone who prefers to stay out of the weather or if you have a child who might need to move around a bit during the ride.

What to Do With Your Time in Silverton

Each of the Silverton options give you about two hours in Silverton before the train or bus head back to Durango. That is enough time to walk Greene Street, have lunch, and look around, but it goes faster than you think.

Silverton is a genuinely preserved historic mining town, and it earns that description. Most of the buildings on Greene Street are not reconstructed. They are the originals, and the scale of the place, small, high, surrounded by peaks on every side, is something photographs do not quite capture. I suggest guests pick one thing to do well rather than trying to rush through several. A sit-down lunch at one of the local spots on Greene Street is worth the time, but if you are tired of sitting, I recommend ordering a lunch to go, and having it on the bus or train ride back to Durango. A favorite stop for me is the Mining Heritage Center and 1902 Jail. You will get a picture of Silverton during its mining days, and I love the story about outlaws in the hills, and the jail!!! In my opinion, it is a real SW Colorado treasure and must visit. You will have an hour, give or take, depending on other stops along the way to the North end of the street, and your pace. However, if you are driving to Silverton during your stay, you could plan to visit with more time to work your way through the exhibits.

One practical note: Silverton sits above 9,300 feet. If you or anyone in your group is sensitive to altitude, drink water on the train ride up and take the first twenty minutes in town slowly, strolling along the streets. In fact, if you are coming from a low elevation home area, please hydrate very well, before and during your stay. You can also visit our local herb store for altitude and respiratory tinctures.

Getting to the Depot and Back

The D&SNGRR depot sits on Main Avenue and 5th street, right at the south end of our historic downtown area. Parking near the depot on a summer morning is genuinely difficult, and I see guests stress about it more than they need to. We are a 12-minute stroll/walk from the depot here at the Gable House, so our guests often simply leave their cars and walk down. If you are staying elsewhere, I would suggest arriving early and using the designated train lot a on the west side of the train station, between the tracks and 550, off 6th street.

When the train returns in the evening, downtown Durango is still lively. Main Avenue has good restaurants within easy walking distance of the depot, and after a full day on the train, a meal you do not have to drive to is often a desirable and a welcome choice.

A Few Things People Do Not Think to Ask

Bring more water than you think you need. The combination of altitude, dry mountain air, and a long day outside adds up. A refillable bottle is worth the space in your bag.

Photography is one of the great pleasures of this ride, and the canyon gives you no shortage of material. The best light is typically in the morning on the way up. By the return trip in the afternoon, the canyon walls cast longer shadows, which creates its own kind of drama but is harder to photograph.

If you are traveling with a dog, the railroad does allow leashed pets in certain cars. Ask about this specifically when you book, because the policy has specific conditions and not all cars permit animals.

Several classes of train cars are available, from open air to first class and even an option for a private car. The concession car is basic, so if you want something more, you will need to order a picnic or pick up a sandwich or salad of your choosing at one of our delis or coffee shops the evening before, or on your way to your train or bus. There are also many options in Silverton for pick up food.

Finally, if you have flexibility in your schedule, a weekday departure during peak season tends to be a little less crowded than a weekend. The experience is the same, but the depot platform is calmer and boarding goes more smoothly.

The Narrow Gauge is one of those rare things that actually lives up to its reputation. I have sent hundreds of guests to that depot over the years, and I have never had one come back and say it was not worth it. A little planning is all it takes to make sure the day goes the way you hope. Don’t forget to consider booking any of the special trains such as the Polar Express, the Blues Train and more!

Please feel free to call me if you have any questions or need more information.

Happy travels,

Tracie

A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Durango's Historic Downtown

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 21:53:12 GMT

How to spend a morning exploring the architecture, stories, and street life of one of Colorado's most intact Victorian districts

Mornings in Durango have a particular quality to them. The light comes in at a low angle off the San Juan peaks, the air still carries a little of the night's coolness, and Main Avenue has not yet filled with the midday foot traffic. That window, roughly eight in the morning until noon, is when I think downtown Durango shows itself best. The Victorian storefronts are easier to study when you are not navigating a crowd, and the people you do encounter tend to be locals going about their day. If you are staying in town this summer and you have a free morning, I want to walk you through what I would tell any guest sitting at my table: here is how to do this on your own, at your own pace, and actually see what you are looking at.

Start on Fifth Avenue and Work Your Way West

The walk from the residential blocks east of Main Avenue into the commercial historic district is itself part of the story. The neighborhood shifts gradually from late-Victorian homes with wide covered porches and ornate gable details to the taller brick commercial facades that line Main Avenue proper. By the time you reach the intersection of Main and Fifth, you are standing at the southern edge of a nationally registered historic district, and it reads that way. The buildings are not reproductions. The brick is original, the cornices are original, and most of the upper floors still carry the proportions and window patterns of the 1880s and 1890s, when Durango was being built out as a railroad and mining supply hub.

You are beginning your Main Street walk at the historic Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Station. Do not miss their impressive traWalk north on Main Avenue and give yourself permission to look up. Most visitors look straight ahead or into shop windows, which means they miss the real architectural detail. The second and third floors of these buildings carry the character: decorative brick corbeling, arched window headers, and cast iron details.

The early hotels and What TheyTell You About Durango's Ambitions

In the 500 block on the west side of the street, you will encounter the General Palmer Hotel. This early Durango establishment was built in 1898 in downtown Durango, Colorado, and is named after Civil War General William Jackson Palmer , founder of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad.The main building features late-19th-century architecture, preserved antique furnishings in the foyer and lobby, and an original historic elevator. This boutique hotel has been family owned, and operational for over 125 years.

Another block down Main Avenue, at the southwest corner of Main and 7th streets, you will reach the Strater Hotel, built in 1887, four years before Durango had been incorporated for a decade. It is a useful anchor point on this walk, not just because it is one of the most intact Victorian commercial buildings in the region, but because of what its construction says about the town's early ambitions. The people who built Durango were not building a temporary mining camp. They were building a city, and the Strater, with its ornate red brick facade and elaborate period interior, was a statement to that effect.

Stop on the sidewalk across the street and look at the full elevation of the building. The decorative brickwork on the upper floors, the pedimented window surrounds, and the corner tower are all original. If you walk inside briefly, the lobby woodwork is worth a few minutes of your time. The hotel has been in continuous operation since 1887, which is a remarkable fact in a region where many historic structures did not survive the economic cycles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Reading the Street as a Document

One of the things I encourage guests to do on this walk is treat Main Avenue as a kind of layered document rather than a backdrop. The buildings were not all built at once. Some date to the early 1880s, others to the 1890s and early 1900s, while others are relatively new in comparison. You can often read the difference in the building materials and stylistic choices. The earliest commercial buildings tend to be simpler in their detailing. The later ones reflect the growing prosperity of the town and the influence of pattern books and architectural fashions that were moving west from Denver and beyond.

Look also at the street-level changes over time. Original storefronts were often altered in the mid-20th century, with historic facades covered over or simplified. In recent decades, some of those alterations have been reversed during restoration work, and you can sometimes spot the transition where a historic brick facade reappears above a more recent ground-floor treatment. It is not always tidy, but it is honest, and it tells you something about how a working downtown evolves over a century.

Side Streets and What You Find Off Main

The walking tour most people describe stays entirely on Main Avenue, and that is a reasonable starting point. But the blocks immediately east and west of Main reward some wandering. Second Avenue, one block west, runs parallel to Main and gives you a different angle on the backs and sides of the commercial buildings. You also encounter a mix of smaller commercial structures, historic residential buildings, and infill from different eras that together give a more complete picture of how the neighborhood grew.

The alleys between Main and Second are worth a slow pass as well. You see the service architecture of the historic district, the loading docks, the brick rear elevations, the infrastructure that kept these businesses running, and it is a different kind of beauty than the polished Main Avenue frontage.

A Few Practical Notes for the Walk

July temperatures in Durango typically reach the upper 80s by early afternoon, so starting before nine in the morning makes the walk considerably more comfortable. Wear shoes you are willing to put real miles on. The historic district covers several blocks in each direction, and if you are doing this properly, meaning stopping, looking, doubling back occasionally, you will cover more ground than the straight-line distance suggests.

Bring water. The elevation here is just above 6,500 feet, and even a moderate morning walk at altitude will leave you more dehydrated than the same walk at sea level would.

The Gable House is a five-minute walk from Main Avenue and the historic district, which means you can leave your car parked and return to it only when you are ready. There is no need to move it between stops or worry about time limits. That kind of walkability changes how you experience a morning downtown. You can linger, come back to a block you want to see again, stop for coffee without calculating whether you have enough meter time. That is the right pace for this particular walk.

Warmly,

Tracie and Charlie

Greetings from the Gable House Inn: Culture, Community, and Colorado Magic

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 20:40:47 GMT

What’s Happening in Durango:

Welcome to Southwest Colorado, Durango, and the Gable House Inn! We're so glad you're here to experience all our magical area has to offer. Beyond our stunning landscape and endless outdoor opportunities, we're lucky to host exceptional events and festivals all year long.

July: Music in the Mountains

Durango is proud and honored to host a world-class music festival, Music in the Mountains, celebrating its 40th year of bringing top-notch classical and world music to our corner of Southwest Colorado. The four-week festival kicks off with three days of free music in the parks, featuring three different performing groups across three different locations each day, spanning from Pagosa Springs to Mancos and everywhere in between.

Our internationally renowned Artistic Director, Vadim Gluzman, has curated an incredible program this year, featuring guest conductor Andrew Litton in a special performance paired with a carefully curated gourmet meal at the Strater Hotel's Pullman Room, in an intimate, private setting. New Orleans jazz conductor Byron Stripling will lead the Music in the Mountains Orchestra for our Pops Fundraiser at Sky Ute Casino.

Visit musicinthemountains.com, or reach out to Tracie at Gablehousebnb@gmail.com. She serves on the festival's board of directors and would love to help you plan your visit around it.

Just Wrapped: Durango PlayFest

A few weeks ago, we closed out Durango PlayFest (June 23 through 28), where over one hundred top playwrights submit scripts, and just a few are chosen to be workshopped here in Durango. Over five days, theatre lovers watch a new play emerge from script to stage. Many of these plays go on to major theatre venues around the country after their first life here in Durango.

Looking Ahead

Coming up:

Along with the Music in the Mountains we have the Four Corners Motorcycle Rally in August, Durango Arts Month in September, and the Cowboy Gathering in early October. Then don't miss Halloween at the Gable House, followed by a festive holiday season with the Polar Express train ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Noel Night, our downtown holiday celebration.

Come Stay With Us

Whatever season or event brings you to Durango, we'd love to host your visit. Rooms fill quickly around our festival dates, so we always recommend booking early. Call or email us at Gablehousebnb@gmail.com to check availability or ask us anything about planning your trip, we know this town inside and out and are happy to help you make the most of it.

Warmly,
Tracie and Charles
The Gable House Inn