All Aboard – it’s that time
Welcome to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad! We’re glad you’ve chosen to visit. Whether you are new to experiencing this legendary railroad or have been a returning guest for years, we look forward to offering you the best in year-round historic train adventures presented today as they were in 1882! We invite you to hop aboard and relive the “Golden Age” on our railroad, which was voted “#1 Best Scenic Train in North America “ by USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice 2021 & 2022, “Best Historic Railroad of the West” 2021-23 by TrueWest Magazine Readers, and “Best Train Experience in the West” in 2016 by Sunset Magazine. Order a FREE All-Aboard Guide.
About D&SNGRR
Our family has dedicated decades to preserving the history surrounding this national treasure, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. This railroad is designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service and an American Society of Civil Engineering Landmark.
When is the best time to visit the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad? Any time of the year!
During the winter, we offer exclusive round-trip train adventures deep into the heart of the San Juan National Forest to Cascade Canyon as well as the premier holiday family event train, THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train ride.
If you’re visiting in the springtime, your train excursion may feature incredible waterfalls during the spring thaw season as you journey to Cascade Canyon.
All Aboard in the Summer
Summer is high season at the D&S with daily full day Durango to Silverton excursions May through October departing from Durango. We also offer daily 5-hour excursions on the Cascade Canyon Express seven days a week during the high season. These rail journeys also depart from the Durango Depot and travel to Cascade Canyon and are a perfect highlight reel of spectacular Rocky Mountain vistas for those with limited time.
Autumn offers you a unique way to experience peak leaf season from the comfort of the D&S train. Connect with family and friends as you explore the Rocky Mountains by historic railway. Sit back and allow yourself to be transported through a riot of blazing fall colors featuring the spectacular golden glow of aspens.
However you choose to relax and connect on the D&S train, and whatever adventure awaits you, we hope you have an inspiring journey where you create wonderful life-long memories!
Things To Do in Castle Rock
It’s easy to see how Castle Rock got its name when one spies the castle-shaped butte towering high above the town center. The town’s history is also easily visible in the original, well-preserved homes, cafés, and churches throughout the area. Many of these were built using the unusual rhyolite stone that originally attracted the settlers who founded the town in the mid-to-late 18th century. Prior to their arrival, the area was occupied by Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indian tribes. Today, nearly 60,0000 people call Castle Rock home.
With roots in mining and railroads, this affluent town offers an updated taste of the Old West. It boasts a historic downtown area, 265 acres of parks, and 44 miles of trails. Castle Rock, easily accessible by Interstate 25, is home to the Outlets at Castle Rock (the largest open-air outlet center in the State) and is the seat of Douglas County. The town encompasses 33 square miles and sits in the East Plum Creek Valley at the base of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 6,202 feet.
With over 300 days of sunshine each year, Castle Rock is a safe and welcoming place to enjoy the brisk Colorado air year round.
Colorado Health Centers Wellness
Colorado consistently ranks in the top 10 healthiest states in the nation for several good reasons. First, we take fitness seriously and have elevated outdoor activities to an art form. You find a robust resource of health centers, wellness centers, rehabilitation facilities, mental health centers, and addiction treatment facilities throughout the state.
Need to find an Emergency Room, click the emergency care button.
Colorado Has Good Health Care.
University hospitals, private hospitals and dedicated physicians and other health care professionals provide us with personalized treatment. Colorado has several research and treatment facilities:
Colorado Treatment Health Center
Colorado has many urgent care centers for emergency treatment.
You also have to relax and recover when you work hard and play hard. Here are some of our best ways to do just that.
Visiting a spa for a massage, a float studio to rejuvenate sore muscles or any other of the local wellness businesses centered on making the body happy and health. The natural mineral rich waters found at Colorado’s many natural hot springs are exceptions when it comes to recovery. Most natural hot spring organizations offer spa services and more.
South Park, Colorado
Perched high in the Colorado Rockies, South Park Colorado is a microcosm of Western history. From deep canyons to vast grasslands to snowy peaks and alpine meadows, this compelling basin is home to the nation’s highest incorporated town, gold mines, cattle ranches, and mountain passes. As one of only 49 National Heritage Areas in the United States, South Park offers a rare glimpse of pioneer life at high altitudes during the settlement of the American West.
South Park Colorado is a landscape rich with heritage and attracts individuals who value western authenticity. Some ranches have been operated for five generations by the same family. As they have for centuries, residents still depend on the land for their livelihood, recreation, and quality of life. As other places lose their inherent charm, South Park becomes a more engaging destination.
More About South Park Colorado
Perhaps you’re curious about the more modern attraction, the cartoon South Park. What does South Park Colorado have to do with the cartoon anyway? One can really only speculate on the subject. Perhaps these two places (one real, the other fictional) have nothing to do with one another. It’s just mere coincidence that they bear similar naming. However, it’s also possible that there’s more to it than mere coincidence. One similarity that stands out is that the historical South Park was outlandish, full of ironies, and scandal. This is also true about the cartoon. Learn more about South Park, Fairplay and Conifer Colorado. There are some interesting connections between them that might just satisfy your curiosity.
Transcontinental Highway of 1926 – US 24
U.S. Hwy 24 or Route 24 is one of the original transcontinental highways of 1926. Initially, it started at Pontiac, Michigan in the east and headed
west, and terminated at Kansas City, Missouri. Today US 24 runs from Independence Township, Michigan at an intersection with I-75, and terminates at Minturn, Colorado at an intersection with I-70.
When the US highway system was started in 1926, US Route 24 in Colorado was called US 40S. This highway started in Grand Junction and proceeded west along the current I-70 route to Minturn. Then proceeded to the current route to Limon. From Limon, it proceeded to the Kansas border and was called US 40N. The US 40S and US 40N, west and east of Limon respectively received US 24 designation in 1936; however, in 1975 when US 24 was extended west from Kansas City, Missouri. The stretch between Grand Junction and Minturn was decommissioned.
Looking back on the naming and development of US Route 24 and how this transitioned into other major highways is confusing, to say the least; however, it does let us know that US 24 was an important highway in terms of western migration and the development of west/central United States.
Telegraph Road
Dixie Highway in Pontiac, Michigan, and Laskey Road in Toledo, Ohio, denote a section of highway that was known as Telegraph Road. This telling name came about before the highway even existed after the telegraph wires which ultimately ran parallel to the route. US Route 24 was the western edge of Telegraph Road that ran through Detroit. Mark Knopfler of the Dire Straits even wrote the song “Telegraph Road”, which is the story of the development and decay of this highway.
Relax with float therapy.
Colorado float studios combine the relaxing qualities of a massage with sensory depravation to let your body and mind relax completely. Loads of salt water allow you to lie weightless in shallow pools.
Offered in a private suite, free from everyday sensory overload, it does require an skills, and is a physically-passive form of total body wellness. Floating is considered a curative approach that simultaneously restores the body and revives the mind
During a float you are suspended effortlessly in a super saturated solution of Epsom salt and water within a light- and sound-controlled environment that reduces sensory stimulation and effectively suspends the effects of gravity on the central nervous system. The water is at skin temperature and after a few minutes you lose the awareness of where the body ends and the water begins. Resting in this unique environment creates profound changes within the mind/body system and actually improves the overall function of the brain and central nervous system. After your first float you may think it seems like magic but it’s actually backed by over thirty years of mainstream scientific research in human performance.
Floating is about everything that you WON’T be doing.
You won’t be fighting gravity. The 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt in the water takes care of that while you lie passively and effortlessly on your back. As you lay in absolute tranquility, every muscle is allowed to gradually relieve it’s functional tensions. Your entire body, including internal organs, muscles and bones will be, for the first time, completely rested and at ease. While underwater music and color light therapy can be provided, there is typically no light or sound, during your float session. The water and air in the float rooms are kept at skin temperature – 93.5 degrees. This means you lose track of where your body ends and the water and air begins. Free from the functions of interpreting and processing light, sound, temperature, gravitational forces and other sensations, the brain is able to expand into areas ordinarily inaccessible except during deep meditation. It turns out that when you’re not fighting gravity or constantly taking in information your body has a lot of extra resources at its disposal. Thus, a wonderfully freeing and opening process begins to take effect, stress is left behind, healing takes place more rapidly, learning and creativity is enhanced, sudden insights and inspirations may unfold and problems are more easily solved.
Feelings of profound peace and joy are induced by the release of dopamine and endorphin’s, the body’s natural mood elevators and pain reducers. A beautiful silence is experienced and a lightness of being that cannot be felt in any other way unfolds.
After hiking and biking, or a day on the slopes, schedule some me-time with a float!
Welcome to Mesa Verde Country.
Where endless opportunities to explore the outdoors combine with rich culture and history. Where time-tested trails become a path for your next adventure. Take your time.
You’ll realize there’s so much more to explore when the “Trading Center of the Southwest” beckons you to interactive museums, artisan galleries and trading posts. The beauty of the agricultural landscape tempts you with farm-fresh flavors, craft brews and boutique wineries. Dryland beans aren’t just a local favorite, they are a way of life, as it has been for thousands of years. Discover how unobstructed views of towering mountain country offer a chance to immerse yourself in peaceful, reflective moments. The warm canyon winds gently touch the high desert lands, and soft rustling grasses are like music to the ear.
Traditions of the past become memories you’ll treasure, as local artistry passed down through generations becomes a celebration of community. Adventure beckons to every age and skill level with terrific fishing, biking, and a chance to immerse yourself in the great outdoors. Beginner and practiced alike will find a route to their liking. Leaving becomes a fond goodbye, and returning is a happy reunion. We encourage you to experience, to enjoy, and to share. Mesa Verde Country. One day just isn’t enough.
Welcome to the Royal Gorge Region
The Royal Gorge Region, is a great vacation choice among many beautiful and fun Colorado destinations. Base your adventure in Cañon City, the “Climate Capital of Colorado”! Where it is warmer, dryer and sunnier than Colorado Springs and Denver. Close and convenient, but without the crowds and traffic that can overwhelm other popular destinations.
Attractions
Families and visitors of all ages will find there are loads of options to enjoy the area’s amazing scenery or participate in some real Colorado fun,
Many visitors consider the Royal Gorge and the Arkansas River the finest natural assets. America’s top destination for whitewater rafting and anglers relish the fact that it is the country’s longest stretch of Gold Medal Trout water. The trail networks offer something for every ability level, whether on foot or a bicycle. Up for a challenge? Check out mountain bike trails or world-class rock climbing. Try the exhilarating experience of ziplining across the gorge, plus classic and extreme courses above treetops and canyons.
Downtown Cañon City
Don’t forget to visit the region’s museums, history and heritage sites. Downtown Cañon City and Florence are both hidden gems offering quaint, locally-owned shops, farmer’s markets, restaurants, breweries, and annual festivals. Learn about dinosaurs that roamed this land 150 million years ago through outstanding indoor and outdoor exhibits and interpretive trails. Check out the Royal Gorge Dinosaur experience just north of Canon City. They have all kinds of fun for the kids including interactive exhibits.
Plan more than a day to experience all the Royal Gorge Region has to offer. The recommendation is to spend at least a night, or more. Options include hotels, motels, cabins, B&B’s, full-service and forest campgrounds, or even glamping! Enjoy your visit! Cañon City looks forward to welcoming you to the attractions and activities that await in the Royal Gorge Region. Safe travels.
Fremont County Tourism Council
Things to Do in Winter Park, Colorado
This is the great outdoors you’ve dreamed about: where fresh air and gorgeous natural surroundings meet high-alpine adventures and soothing retreats. It’s the perfect convergence of life, nature and the elements. Winter Park inspires visitors from around the world and constantly rewards those lucky enough to call this home. Come see for yourself.
Winter Park lies just 67 miles from Denver. As you crest the 11,400 foot summit of Berthoud Pass and make your way down US Highway 40, the valley opens up before you like your own four-season playground. From the snowcapped peaks of the Continental Divide to the northern runout of the Fraser River and its tributaries, Winter Park shimmers with life. Winter Park is home to unbelievable outdoor adventure, spectacular scenery and family fun. With over 324” of snow each year, it makes for excellent skiing, snowboarding, tubing, snowmobiling, sleigh rides and snow angel making. It is a playground sure to please anyone’s inner child.
