Western Slope
San Juan County
24 Porch Notes tied to San Juan County — the local details that change from one part of Colorado to the next.
Money and taxes (1)
Water and land (2)
Water and land
Fish San Juan County's high lakes and side creeks, and know the upper Animas
Many tributaries and high lakes around Silverton fish well; the main-stem upper Animas is shaped by old-mine metals, so plan your trout day around the side waters.
Read note ->Water and land
Outside Silverton, a well permit decides how much water a property really has
A rural San Juan County property served by a well depends on its state well permit, which sets what the water can legally be used for.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire (8)
Outdoors and wildfire
Around Silverton, dispersed camping follows Forest Service rules
Much of the land around Silverton is San Juan National Forest, where dispersed camping and motorized travel follow designated-route rules, not 'camp anywhere.'
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Highland Mary Lakes climbs from Cunningham Gulch to the Continental Divide
The Highland Mary Lakes Trail near Silverton starts up Cunningham Gulch, enters the Weminuche Wilderness, and connects to the Continental Divide Trail in open alpine basins.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Ice Lake Basin near Silverton is steep, popular, and short on parking
The Ice Lake Trail off South Mineral Road near Silverton is a strenuous climb to a wildflower basin, with limited parking in summer and burn-area hazards from the 2020 Ice Fire.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Kendall Mountain: Silverton's own little ski hill
Silverton owns and runs Kendall Mountain, a family-priced recreation area with skiing, Nordic trails, and an ice rink right beside town.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Silverton Mountain: One old chairlift, no easy way down
A single old double chairlift north of Silverton serves nothing but ungroomed expert terrain, where everyone carries an avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
The Bonita Peak Superfund cleanup near Silverton, explained calmly
Old mines around Silverton drain metals into the upper Animas River, and the area is a federal Superfund site under long-term cleanup.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
The Weminuche Wilderness fills much of San Juan County's high country
The Weminuche is Colorado's largest designated wilderness, spreading across San Juan County's peaks with strict no-motor, no-bike rules and a 15-person group limit.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Winter backcountry near Silverton means checking the CAIC avalanche forecast
The mountains around Silverton sit in the North San Juan avalanche zone, where the state avalanche center posts daily winter forecasts and backcountry travelers carry rescue gear.
Read note ->Cars and driving (3)
Cars and driving
Getting to Silverton in winter means watching Red Mountain Pass
US 550 over Red Mountain Pass north of Silverton can close for snow and avalanche control, so winter travel here depends on checking the road first.
Read note ->Cars and driving
The Alpine Loop near Silverton is a backcountry byway, not a casual drive
The Alpine Loop links Silverton to high passes and old mining sites on rough roads that need the right vehicle and are closed by snow much of the year.
Read note ->Cars and driving
The San Juan Skyway is the paved scenic loop through Silverton's passes
US 550 through San Juan County is part of the San Juan Skyway, a paved scenic byway that crosses Molas and Coal Bank passes between Silverton and Durango.
Read note ->Local rules (2)
Local rules
In San Juan County, a small statutory government makes the local rules
San Juan County runs as a statutory county with the Town of Silverton inside it, so who sets the rules depends on which jurisdiction an address falls under.
Read note ->Local rules
San Juan County has one tiny K–12 school district in Silverton
The whole county is served by one small public school district based in Silverton, where all grades share a single historic building, which shapes options for families moving here.
Read note ->History and culture (8)
History and culture
Animas Forks is a real ghost town, kept by the BLM
Animas Forks above Silverton is a preserved mining ghost town on the Alpine Loop, managed by the Bureau of Land Management, where the standing buildings are protected and meant to be left as found.
Read note ->History and culture
Mayflower Mill: Silverton's ore mill still set up to run
Two miles outside Silverton, the Mayflower Mill keeps its original 1930 ore-processing machinery in place, and the historical society opens it for self-guided summer tours.
Read note ->History and culture
Most of Silverton sits inside a National Historic Landmark district
Much of the town of Silverton is a National Historic Landmark district recognized for its mining-era buildings, which is worth knowing if you own or change a property there.
Read note ->History and culture
Ride a mine train deep into Galena Mountain at the Old Hundred
Up Cunningham Gulch east of Silverton, the Old Hundred Gold Mine Tour rides a vintage electric mine train a third of a mile into Galena Mountain, with former miners running the old machines and free gold panning afterward.
Read note ->History and culture
The county is divided by old mining districts, not just towns
San Juan County's history is organized around several named hard-rock mining districts, and that legacy still shapes the land, old workings, and place names you encounter.
Read note ->History and culture
The Durango–Silverton train was built to haul ore, not tourists
The narrow-gauge railroad that climbs to Silverton was built in the early 1880s to move ore and supplies, and it is now a National Historic Landmark that still runs in summer.
Read note ->History and culture
The Million Dollar Highway is history you can drive
The stretch of US 550 between Silverton and Ouray, the 'Million Dollar Highway,' dates to the 1920s and is part of the San Juan Skyway, a route built on old mining roads.
Read note ->History and culture
Why Silverton sits where it does: hard-rock mining in the San Juans
Silverton grew up as a hard-rock mining town in the high San Juan Mountains, and that mining past still shapes the county's roads, sites, and identity.
Read note ->