Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Reviews

We loved the Durango & Silverton NGR. We had a wonderful time and highly recommend.

Awesome place to go and spend a weekend, in Durango and riding the train!

Mother Nature doesn't disappoint however the D & S train ride and CEO Al Harper fail miserably and Mother Natures cost is free. Before you make an investment in a D & S train ride seriously consider another excursion if in the Durango/Silverton area. Chances are very good that you'll encounter an overpriced and unpleasant trip.

I'll share our day on July 29, 2016. We purchased the high end tickets for the Presidential/Cinco Animas car at $200 plus per person which means very little. Our trip included a 2 hour delay due to a breakdown, a shortened stay in Silverton, cash only purchases because our car staff had no ability to accept credit cards ( D & S website states cash/credit accepted), a restroom with no running water to flush the toilet or wash your hands.

This review is being posted after a letter sent to the CEO - Al Harper went unanswered.

Perhaps Mr. Harper should consider an undercover trip to experience first hand his failed operation of the D & S train.

Super fun and neat train ride through the mountains and near rivers. Try getting the caboose car if you can. You'll thank me later ;)

Super ride on the historic railroad. Don't forget to walk through the museum.

Rode on the Knight car to the Cascade Canyon. Loved it. The scenery is breathtaking. The staff were all very informative and kind.

The train ride this fall was breath taking and very enjoyable. Silverton was a unique and interesting town. We would advise taking the bus back. It is a long ride back and we had to stop several times for the train ahead of us. We were in an enclosed car and that was fine. Twas a bit nippy way up in mountains. AND drink lots of water. High altitude really dehydrates you fast. Our breathing was a bit harder. Not sure I'd go if on oxygen.

Just happened to be in Durango when the train was boarding. Several of the train track safety personnel informed me of the best spot to take pictures and they let me into the yard area to take a few more. What a great experience.

A must if your in Durango, fantastic views, very nice staff, a day well spent with family or friends A++

It was a really neat ride up the mountain to the town of Silverton. The river was high and wild from all of the late snowfall. The ride back got to be long for me. You could pay extra to ride the van down to save some time.

Great museum for train enthusiasts and local interests.

Took the bus up and train back which gave us a really nice amount of time in Silverton over lunchtime ... actually a bit too long as our return train broke down on the way up to Silverton. Oh well, time for another couple of pints!
We sat in the narrated coach and that tremendously added to the experience so we can't recommend that enough!

The train ride was great.
The problem is that it goes to Silverton.
Silverton seems to resent that its a tourist town.
Hugly expensive, rude, iritable, bad experiance.

Bring a picnik and enjoy the train.

What a superb four hour train ride it was. Four hours to Silverton and four hours back to Durango. The scenery was beautiful with magnificent mountaintops, a change of season trees and a river which we rode next to along the way. This is a must-do if you're in Durango, Colorado.

Brought back several wonderful memories as a kid with my dad. Hasn't really changed a bit in 30 years. Sucks that the rail train won't have the beautiful scenery for many years

Beautiful and breathtaking, always a great with kids and grandchildren. Three times and would venture again

Polar express was a completely enjoyable experience with the Grandkids!

Always nice to see this kind of restoration in action.

If you like trains or scenery you will love it, price tag, not so much. The people are great and make you feel comfortable.

Didn't ride the train on this trip, but probably be back in the Fall to do that. This trip was all about the museum, which was very enjoyable. There's something for just about everyone there. Located in the old DRGW roundhouse, it housed more than just locomotives. There are displays for military, automobiles, aircraft and more. There is no cost to visit the museum, however donations are encouraged.

Worth both the time and expense .,. would highly recommend

Don't forget to check out the train museum on the south side of the depot.

My family and I own Lightner Creek Campground. We love enjoying the many activities our community offers. Taking the Polar Express with my adult children and grandchildren was such a special time. Will be back again next year!

We did the wine train on September 1st... So much fun!!!

Absolutely beautiful place!! I fell in love with Durango! Has a very home like feel to it!

Magic in every way. That we have a treasure like this is a thanks to the owner and workers that keep it alive. It is like walking back in time and about the most spectacular ride you will ever take. Historic in ever way can be. Also the Polar Express we took again in 2017 season and was better than ever!!!!
Thank you so much DNGR!!!!

We had a blast. Such a gorgeous place. We learned a lot. I have a new appreciation.

Dont even think of not doing this trip. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely

This is very nice old style beautiful railway station with a real steam locomotive!!! It has also a free museum (separate building) what I and my kids really like. We had a chance to get on Polar Express on Christmas Eve , it was amazing !!!! Old style beautiful cars with awesome conductors, santa and all that from the Polar Express story.

Loved the ride!!!! Scenery along the way was awesme!!! And the little historic town up in the mountains was so fun to walk through!!!! So worth the money!!!!

Great experience!! Bring the whole family. Loved "Chef Cookie".

Toured the grounds but didn't get to ride the train as it had shut down for the season the day before we got there. Interesting place and we will be returning to make the Silverton run soon

Amazing and awesome experience! Great service and taste of history and breath taking views on narrow gauge train. It is a must if you are near Durango!

Fantastic place. But; railroad employees at ticket window are rude and dont care to give you decent seats.

It was a beautiful ride. I thought the intro would be more explanatory. You have to buy the map and such for that. Photo op at the end was cool. But you have to pay for that too.

This is a great little museum, jam packed with authentic items, meticulously cared for. Real, gigantic locomotives serve as the perfect complement to an intricate, meticulously rendered and powered miniature railroad. Tangential historical items complete the ensemble nicely. No sitting room, meaning tired legs will have to rest elsewhere. Great overall; we take the kids here often.

If you love steam trains this is a must do. Scenery is amazing. Upgraded for the trip to the open air Silver Vista car which is open air but very comfortable. Keep in mind the weather going up to Silverton is very unpredictable and even on a warm day can true chilly and rainy without warning so bring a jacket or sweatshirt. We did the train up and back and it is a long day but it was fun.

What a fun trip. Lots of great pictures along the way. Great staff!

This is a must see place for everyone visiting Durango Colorado

My absolute favorite part of our trip to Durango! It's was a VERY long trip and you'll have a thin layer of soot on you and your belongings, but the views are absolutely breathtaking especially the closer you get to Silverton. My wife usually gets motion sickness but she was fine with all the rocking; she would just turn to face forwards instead of looking out sideways which is how most of the cars' seats are.

An American treasure. Totally free(donations suggested).

Wide variety of memorabilia...price is right. Cold need a jacket? Hit up the gift shop for a nice embroidered coat.

I loved the trip to Silverton and back on their steam train.

The scenery was absolutely stunning.
The narrator in our car did a magnificent job putting us in the historic moment. A must do for anyone with a love of trains and the old West.

Nice place to walk around and learn about some local history.

Boring...it took 4 hours to go 40 miles. After the first hour, the scenery remains the same. If you like narrow gauge railroads then this is a treat.

If you enjoy steam locomotives and/or majestic scenery, you will love the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Train ride!

We rode the train to Silverton and took the bus back to Durango.

One of our most favorite family vacation/experiences yet!! Hands down recommend this event to any and everyone.

My family and I drove up to Silverton and took the train back to Durango. We went during the fall so the train ride was absolutely gorgeous with the trees turning.

My mom & I took the train on New Years day & loved it. The weather was beautiful. Our guide was friendly, funny & seemed very knowledgeable. A brunch was included with our ticket. My only complaint would be the food. I had not eaten, expecting to eat on the train. I could not find anything that I liked to eat. I am a little more particular than my mom when it comes to food but she didn't even like the food. We were both starving by the time the train ride ended. They did have good drinks ranging from soda, hot chocolate & alcohol. We did enjoy our complimentary glass of champagne. Overall we had a wonder time & I would recommended the train ride to everyone. I would also recommend them eating ahead of time.

Pure nostalgia ... Train ride takes about 3.5 hours relatively long. The museum is well designed but a little crowded ..

The museum is an ecletic collection that chronicles the developmental history of the train as well as the whole area. The train was an awesome way to see the mountains and put in perspective the history and beauty and extreme. Even though it rained, we still had a blast. This was my fourth time on the train, and I'll be back!

Highly recommend the museum and riding the Durango rail line to Silverton Colorado.

A very friendly family place to visit! Can't wait to go back!!

This is an excursion train ride on a historic narrow gage railroad pulled by venerable steam powered locomotive. Half way through the trip the train stops to take on 4000 gallons of water. The route is out and back and the train turns around at the far end so the views are reversed coming back. This is a must do for any train enthusiasts or history buff.

Unique trip from Durango, with breathtaking scenery, highly recommended to travel during the week, then no stress-very nice train attendants.

I live in Montana so not as big a deal as it would be to someone else.

Brought our 14 month old and he loved it! Will be making this a tradition!