Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge from Elk Park

[Coffee]

Has anyone used the Elk Park flag stop for the Durango & Silverton railroad to get into Silverton? This seems like a unique way to get into town and back to the trail but if I'm reading the "Wilderness Access" page of the railroad's web site it seems really expensive at $90.10 round trip plus a $10 fee for each backpack. That's for a thirty minute ride in each direction! Is the experience worthwhile?

Hiking a further 6 miles to Molas Pass and hitching into Silverton (or resupplying at Molas Lake Campground) are my two alternatives to using the railroad - both relatively easy to deal with so the railroad is probably only worth the money if it is a great/unique experience.

[Dogwood]

The train ride is a delightful rather unique experience especially during fall and especially doing as part of a hike. It's the way things used to be. The scenery from the train is AWESOME! You can buy a ticket ahead of time or buy as you board. Check the D&S RR site on pricing for the two ways to pay for the fare. There MAY be a difference in price. Different types of seating in the various cars cost different prices as well. It wouldn't hurt to say you are a CT thru-hiker on a tight budget when asking for a price quote from a real person.

Work out your trail logistics as you want but here's something you might want to know if looking to go into a resupply from the Elk Park train stop and back out to Elk Park after a resupply. There are substantial elev. gains on the CT from Elk Park tarin stop whether hiking east/west bound - a sizable elev gain on well engineered switchbacks from Elk PK up to Molas Pass AND if going the other way a sizable elev gain on the CT all the way to the CT/CDT junction on sometimes rocky rougher tread. I've found it to be an easy hitch into Silverton from Molas Pass and back out to MP.

[Dogwood]

I've heard of at least two different hiker's accounts of having walked into Silverton on the train tracks. Don't know if that's legal and may certainly not be advisable. The trains do make regular trips back and forth on the tracks between Silverton and Durango. It would seem like a LONG possibly dangerous but possibly scenic walk.

[Coffee]

Work out your trail logistics as you want but here's something you might want to know if looking to go into a resupply from the Elk Park train stop and back out to Elk Park after a resupply.

Thanks, that is good to know. If I take the train to visit Silverton, I'll avoid re supplying at that point and probably instead send a box ahead of time to the Molas Lake Campground. That way I would leave Silverton with little food for the hike up to the Molas Pass where I can pick up the box the same day.

[Dogwood]

This is all from memory. I don't have any maps or CT materials in front of me. Hiking from the CT/CDT junction(I think that's on Silver Mesa?, at the head of Elk Canyon?) down down down along Elk Creek(I think that's what it was called), to Elk Park flag stop was one of the highlights of my entire CT thru-hike(Flip-Flop). I would rather hike up to Molas Pass with a resupply rather than up to the CT/CDT junction in the other direction w/ a full resupply.

[Dogwood]

Ahhh, there yar go. You figured it out! That's what I was about to suggest. You COULD go the other way on the train into Durango as well and back out to Elk Park IF you knew you had that box waiting for you at Molas Pass. OR, perhaps once you finish your hike at Durango do the whole RT train ride from Durango to Silverton back to Durango.

[handlebar]

I managed to hitch into Silverton from a trailhead about a mile before the CT crosses Molas Pass S of town about 3:30pm, got my resupply at the grocery, and hitched back to where I'd come from by 6pm.

[Dogwood]

The CT heading west(actually Southwest) towards Durango after the ?# switchbacks up from the Animas River(Elk Park flag stop) reaches VERY close to a parking area(there was trail signage here last yr) adjacent to busy paved Hwy 550 which you will see traffic on. You can walk out to HWY 550 from here. It's a very short distance. If you don't, the CT tread will kinda take you away from HWY 550 a bit and have you coming up near a large paved often busy Overlook Parking Lot at Molas Pass shortly where you will then cross Hwy 550 to where the CT continues on the other side and through the campground. Pick your spot to hitch into Silverton or return to the CT from Silverton in either place. Excellent scenic Overlook at the paved Parking Lot at Molas Pass(easy getting a ride to/from the Molas pass parking Lot

[Paddlefoot]

I would rather hike up to Molas Pass with a resupply rather than up to the CT/CDT junction in the other direction w/ a full resupply.

You said it!

Even though I was in tip-top shape by the time I headed down Elk Creek from the CDT/CT junction - I was thankful the whole time that I was going in the other direction.

And what a gorgeous hike it was - and completely unexpected.

[Dogwood]

If you do go into Silverton(don't confuse Silverton w/ Silverthorne both near the CT/CDT like I used to) there's most of the regular hiker amenities - med sized grocery store, lib w/ internet, cafes, eateries, Hostel, laundry, USPO, etc. Couldn't locate iso canisters though last yr. There's alchy fuel in a few places. This is a touristy town especially as it's the end of the line for the RR but the touristy factor goes up when the train is stopped in town allowing the RT train tourists from Durango downtime to shop. BUT, over the course of a 2 1/2 day stay, nursing an injury and ducking the almost constant 3 days of rain and light snow, the town grew on me. This is NOT a modern town though! It's a rustic old mid west mining town. NO Holiday Inns, KFC's, McDonalds, etc. That's why it appealed to me. Lots of old architecture, saloons, hotels, town hall, etc. Checking out the interiors of the buildings is really cool if you're into that kind of stuff. Take things in stride when visiting here. It's an old mining town. What did many miners, many who were foreigners, do when they were not working? Getting drunk, chasing women, gambling, getting into fights, being lawless, etc I could only imagine what it would have been like 140+ yrs ago.

[Paddlefoot]

. Couldn't locate iso canisters though last yr. There's alchy fuel in a few places.

That little outfitter/hunting store on the main drag had MSR canisters - expensive, but available.

I liked Silverton, too. Liked it during my hike and liked it when I brought my family there at the end of the journey. I stayed at the Prospector - simple, but relatively cheap.