Things to do & places to visit in Silverton, Colorado, United States

Silverton city in Colorado, United States. Timezone: America/Denver, current date and time: Monday, May 06, 2024, 9:41.

Top things to do (21)

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Million Dollar Highway (734 reviews)
- Drive Otto Mears Dream - The Million Dollar Highway
Spent More than 3 hours Scenic Drives

Enjoy million-dollar views along this 25-mile highway that hugs the side of the mountain. It connects the Colorado towns of Silverton and Ouray while taking you past dramatic landscapes, from pine forests, valleys, and gorges to the snowcapped San Juan Mountains. The road is marked by hairpin turns, narrow lanes, steep drop-offs, and a lack of guardrails at some points, so drive carefully. A self-guided audio tour might help—you'll get to tidbits of the area's history along the way, too. There are cabins and camping areas where you can stay the night; you can also explore historic landmarks like the Ironton Townsite or hike to the summit of the surrounding peaks. – Tripadvisor See more..
5.0 Rock Pirates Backcountry Adventures (337 reviews)
- Oh the views you will have as you drive through the dusty trails above Silverton
Monday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM 4WD, ATV & Off-Road Tours

This was a great experience. The ATV’s are easy to maneuver and the sights that you will see will blow you away. I would recommend mornings as we got caught in an afternoon shower and it made it very COLD as you get to the top of the mountains. Be very cognizant of your location on the GPS. There are tons of turn offs and you can easily end up down the “wrong path.” I put that in quotes because regardless of where you go you will see some beautiful scenery - waterfalls, animals, etc. I would also recommend bringing neck gaiters or something because the dust that gets kicked up as people drive will bother you if you don’t have something covering your face. They also help with the coolness as you ascend to the various locations. See more..
5.0 Ice Lakes Trail (97 reviews)
- Beautiful!!!!!
Hiking Trails

This breathtaking hike can be done in a day: 3.5 miles one way that takes hikers from 9,900 feet to over 12,200 feet, with many steep switchbacks, waterfalls and sweeping views along the way. See more..
5.0 Molas Pass (60 reviews)
- You've GOT to stop!
Hiking Trails

Fabulous scenic overlook on the Million Dollar Highway. This is either the first stop if you're traveling South to North, or the last if you're going the other way. We were traveling to Montrose, so this was the first & the only one where he was willing to stop. Large parking lot. Information boards & a short walk. Pit toilet restrooms. An indescribable view. It was great & I recommend taking a break here! See more..
5.0 Silverton Powdercats (29 reviews)
- Powder, Powder, Powder, SilvertonPowderCats Ho!
Ski & Snowboard Areas

We made the drive to Silverton expressly for the snow cat trip. The snow was awesome. The guides did a great job of balancing risk mitigation and fun. It’s a different world with Covid and we felt they did a good job with distancing/sanitation etc. It was our family of four, a 15yo, 17yo and two adults. I would highly recommend the outfit if you are looking for access to different terrain without the work of skinning. The guides knew the mountain inside and out. The only negative of the day is that eventually it came to an end. See more..
5.0 Ice Lakes (29 reviews)
- Bucket list hike
Bodies of Water

High-altitude basins in Colorado's San Juans offer excellent hiking opportunities. See more..
5.0 Route 550 Gifts (20 reviews)
- Motorcycle ride from il, 5500 miles in 3 weeks
Speciality & Gift Shops

Commemorate your “drive of a lifetime,” on Highway 550 or the Alpine Loop with our unique souvenirs. Available memorabilia includes apparel, drinkware, ornaments, patches, pins, stickers and more, all originally designed by the owner and local graphic designer, Gina Maria Rosato (aka the Creative Crackerjack). See more..
5.0 Fetch's Mining & Mercantile (14 reviews)
- Excellent, year after year
Monday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM Speciality & Gift Shops

The store, the people, the merchandise, the value -- 5 stars year after year! Stop here on your visit to Silverton. You won't regret it. They don't mind if you flip through the books, ask questions, and browse around -- wonderful place!! The prices are great and the merchandise quality is outstanding. See more..
5.0 White Eyes Gallery (12 reviews)
- Our favorite gallery.
Spent < 1 hour Art Galleries

If you are looking for beautiful pieces of true, Native American pottery, look no further. This is the most exceptional gallery with the best selection of affordable pieces, and it is owned and operated with the most genuine and loving care! And our family could not be more pleased with all of the purchases we’ve made, and the memories we’ve made when we shop there. Thank you so much for everything! We look forward to our next visit. We are also enjoying the beautiful and woven blankets. We bought last summer. The jury selection is nice as well as other art pieces. Thank you for everything! See more..
5.0 Island Lake (10 reviews)
- Difficult hike, but worth it
Bodies of Water

Set against a backdrop of dramatic cliffs, this scenic lake is an excellent destination for hikers and fishing enthusiasts. See more..
5.0 Professor Shutterbugs Old Tyme Portrait Parlor (9 reviews)
- Fun family memories
Spent < 1 hour Game & Entertainment Centers

Stopped by yesterday and decided we needed a family photo as a souvenir. The owner was beyond accommodating and we were in and out within a hour easily. We drove to Silverton expecting to walk around and enjoy the views. But after meeting the owner and his young apprentice Zoe I felt like we made friends. Also they run the gold mine slew thing if you have kids that want to pan for gems. Our daughter loved it. Top notch people See more..
5.0 Enameling Shop (7 reviews)
- Wonderful Find
Spent < 1 hour Speciality & Gift Shops

My husband and I took a day off of mountain biking in Durango and went to Silverton and Ouray. We went into this shop and I was fascinated with the pieces, there were so many different designs. I absolutely love aspen trees and my husband picked me out a pair of earrings. The owner and artisan was working telling us how he made them in store, how they were so light and gave me plenty of backers. One of my ears has been stretched overtime by heavy earring so I appreciate the light feel. I love my one of a kind earrings and meeting the artisan. Highly recommend stopping! See more..
5.0 Skyflower (5 reviews)
- Gorgeous items
Monday: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Speciality & Gift Shops

Skyflower is in the beautiful Colorado town of Silverton. We specialize in one of kind clothing, gifts, and Colorado wear! We feature unique fashion, gifts, one of a kind babywear, and the trendiest selection of T-Shirts, all at affordable price. We carry a wide collection of clothing and gifts that are made in Colorado and the USA! The idea of opening Skyflower Boutique was hatched in the fall of 2011. We first started as an online business in the summer of 2012 in the small mountain town of Silverton, Colorado. From there we began hosting trunk sales at the local coffee shop, houses, and the neighboring town's college. After nearly a year of hauling clothing here and there, Skyflower opened its doors, with a physical shop in downtown Silverton. See more..
5.0 Hillside Cemetery (5 reviews)
- Full of history and unique headstones
Spent < 1 hour Cemeteries

On a recent visit to camp in Silverton we decided to visit the cemetery late at night and really had an interesting visit. We looked up the history of the cemetery and found out a lot of interesting and fascinating facts about the cemetery and people buried there. It’s a beautiful spot, great views of the area and I highly recommend visiting. Probably during the day to take in the full experience. See more..
5.0 Silver San Juan Gallery (5 reviews)
- Nice find in Silverton
Art Galleries
Silver San Juan Gallery is the working art studio and gallery of Michael A. Darr, a recognized American Watercolor Artist. His attention to detail and color have been signature features of his imagery of the Colorado high country, mines and mills. His work has also been recognized in the desert southwest, featuring the landscapes of Utah and the ancient cliff dwellings in the surrounding areas. Shown in tandem with his artwork, Michael offers collected vintage art from great American Artists included R. D. Enright, Edwin Dawes and Gino Hollander. Silver San Juan Gallery also has an eclectic collection of sculptures, pottery and other one of a kind items. The studio offers full picture framing services as well. Silver San Juan Gallery is opens the first week of May and closes the second week of October every year in Silverton Colorado. See more..
5.0 Silverton Soapbox Ltd. (4 reviews)
- Lovely Shop!
Monday: Spent < 1 hour Speciality & Gift Shops

Absolutely delightful little shop with a wonderful variety of fragrant soaps. You can purchase the small size soaps for $1.50 each, which is what I did. There were so many wonderful smells, I had to have some of many of them! There are also other products, lotions, hair products, chapstick, some of which is made in Durango, and a nice variety of items for little girls. The owner makes her soaps right there in the shop and was so pleasant to talk to. Stop by if you're in Silverton. I'm sure glad I did. See more..
5.0 Silverton Stables (4 reviews)
- Horseback in the mountains
Horseback Riding Tours
Sept 2009 - My wife and I enjoyed a lovely horseback ride - around 3 hrs I seem to recall. We ascended into the mountain forest to several lovely views. My horse was a big boy (I'm big myself) and handled really well. What a wonderful way to experience this area. Our guide was a lot of fun and challenging. If you enjoy this sort of thing - it's worth the money See more..
4.5 San Juan County Historical Society (166 reviews)
- FULL of historical relics
History Museums

14,000 Sq. Ft Mining Heritage Center. One of the BEST Mining Museums in the country! Also see the 1902 fully renovated 1902 jail next to Mining Museum. A must see!!!! Open Memorial Day Weekend to mid-October. See more..
4.5 Silverton Historic Downtown (134 reviews)
- Funky village very in character with the late cowboy era!
Speciality & Gift Shops • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Antique Shops

Silverton offers a great location for going to explore the mountains and all of the Off road passes, but it is also a great place to just explore. There are a number of buildings still in use from the early 1900s, and there are shops galore. Blair street used to be the brothel lane and they have kept toe look with the dirt streets and original fronts of many of the buildings. There is a museum which provides more about the town, and of course there is the steam train coming in which is a photographer's delight. See more..
4.5 Silverton Mountain (78 reviews)
- Best Day Ever
Mountains • Ski & Snowboard Areas

Had an epic day doing lift accessed guided runs. We had a great group of 8 with similarly decent fitness levels and were able to get in 6 runs and a bunch of fresh tracks. Our guide, Dustin, was awesome all around. I'll definitely do this again! See more..
4.5 Mayflower Gold Mill (52 reviews)
- Must see hidden gem!
Monday: 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM Spent 1-2 hours Historic Sites

The American West once had hundreds of precious metal mills. Now, most are in various stages of ruin. One important exception is the Mayflower Mill, (or the Shenandoah-Dives Mill) located two miles northeast of Silverton. A National Historic Landmark, this wonderful piece of mining history is open to the public. Witness first hand how the miners were able to extract gold, silver and base metals from the hard rock ores in this complete processing mill. The San Juan Mountains of Southern Colorado were one of the last ranges to be prospected. Although some prospectors were still looking for placer gold, it was becoming quite evident that if any wealth was to be made in the San Juans, it was going to be in underground lode mining. See more..
4.5 Kendall Mountain (28 reviews)
- Great place to practice or learn skiing or snowboarding
Ski & Snowboard Areas

Small ski resort area encompassing approximately 35 acres that offers eleven trails for Alpine skiing. See more..
4.5 Idarado Mine (19 reviews)
- A little bit of history
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Mines

This is a pull-off along the Million Dollar Highway with some great views. Info boards tell about the history of this area and the silver mining that took place here. This was the largest and most productive silver mine in North America at one time. Watch for the signs along the highway for this stop. Nice parking lot and 360 degree views of the area. See more..
4.5 The Old Arcade Trading Company (13 reviews)
- Best shop in town
Monday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Speciality & Gift Shops

By far the BEST shop in town. Great selection and great service in person and when I got home and realized I needed another couple mugs, Missy went above and beyond! I had been in several shops in town looking for unique coffee mugs and found exactly what I was looking for here. The rest of their product selection was much better than the cookie cutter merchandise I found elsewhere as well. But Missy took extra good care of me by packing up 3 more mugs to ship to me, walked over to the post office and got them weighed and ready to go and even had to track down some packing tape. If you go to Silverton, DEFINITELY shop at The Old Arcade!! They're my go to place now for sure. See more..
4.5 Middleton Motorsports (8 reviews)
- Cool shop
Monday: 12:00 AM - 6:00 PM, 9:00 PM - 12:00 AM Gear Rentals

ATV, motorcycle, snowmobile rentals and tours See more..
4.5 Poughkeepsie Gulch Trail (5 reviews)
- Epic off-road experience- not for beginners
Hiking Trails • Off-Road & ATV Trails

This trail is part of the Alpine loop trail system between Ouray, Silverton and Lake City and a gorgeous trail for Jeeps and other off road vehicles. This is rated as an expert trail and not recommended for those who don’t have the proper vehicle or experience. Please observe all trail signs, stay the trail and tread lightly whenever off roading in natural areas of Colorado. Respect the lands, the trails and nature of our state and help keep trails open and well maintained. See more..
4.0 Silverton Visitors Center (76 reviews)
- Summer vacation
Spent < 1 hour Visitor Centers

After driving through town we stopped at the museum parking lot but never went in, it wasn't on our to do list. Then we visited the mine which we were planning to do and after our tour the gal suggested we stop at the museum. Have to say that was the best surprise of our trip, the only downside is we went in before eating lunch and you can spend hours in this museum. It is floors of history of mining and other history. This had to be the number one not on our last that we did and so glad we did. I highly recommend the museum, specially with older kids. See more..
4.0 Shangri-La Soaking Pools (5 reviews)
- NIce facilities and very relaxing
Spent < 1 hour Thermal Spas

There are 3 pools from 99 degrees to higher temps. A sitting area and cold water are provided for those that need a break from the pools. There are also nice, clean and relatively spacious changing rooms with lockers and showers. Towels are provided for a small fee. Drinks (soft drinks, water, Gatorade, etc) in plastic containers are available in the Smedley's Ice Cream shop where you check in and pay your fee. The pools are indoors and available in all types of weather. See more..
4.0 Molas Lake Loop Trail (1 review)
- Warm up hike
Spent 1-2 hours Hiking Trails
This hike is great for while you are acclimating to the elevation. A relatively easy hike of just under 2 miles. However, I recommend taking one of the side trails to take a peak at the waterfall. You'll hear it at the split. See more..
Mountain Studies Institute - Mountain Discovery Center (0 review)
Spent < 1 hour Natural History Museums
Come discover, explore and engage at the Mountain Studies Institute's Mountain Discovery Center! You'll learn about the Animas River watershed and the natural history of the San Juan Mountains through interactive exhibits, and educational programs including wildflower hikes, river walks, nature photography classes, talks from expert speakers and more! See more..