A popular trip for first time visitors to the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado is a ride on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. You’ll be a passenger on a train that has been running the tracks back and forth between Durango and Silverton for more than a century.

The railroad was founded by a Civil War hero who first built a line from Denver to Colorado Springs and later envisioned a route to Silverton.

Originally built to haul gold and silver through the precipitous San Juan Mountains, it now carries visitors along the same 45 mile route. Seating is available in an enclosed coach or open-air car. Premium class parlor cars are available on every train, and you can even reserve an elegant private car for a special occasion.

The train moves slowly through town, and then winds out into the pastoral Animas Valley. As it climbs into the sheer walls of Animas Canyon, the river drops away until it is thousands of feet below. As the train curves around tight switchbacks, you can actually capture a photo of the front of the train from the rear cars.

Just before Cascade Station, and about two hours north of Durango, you pass the flag stop of Rockwood. This is the closest place to board the train and experience Tall Timber’s Soaring Tree Top Adventures. The actual Soaring stop is about another 40 minutes further on your ride. Recently featured in USA Today, this attraction was tagged by TripAdvisor.com as the USA’s most popular attraction based on reader rankings.

The first stop in summer (and the last in winter) is at Cascade Station, where the steam engines take on much needed water. Just before that stop, the train winds back and forth across the river on extremely high trestle bridges. In summer, the train continues north through remote wilderness areas that you could never reach in your vehicle.

If you plan on getting off at Needleton or Elk Park, let the conductor know in advance. And tell him when you expect to return. Why disembark before Silverton? You can hike and fish in the Weminuche Wilderness. In fact, the moderately rated Chicago Basin Trail is one of the most unusual hikes in Colorado because it is accessible only via the railroad.

The end of the line for the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is Silverton. Silverton was launched with the first major gold strike of 1871. Once the railroad arrived in 1883 to solve the transportation problem, the Las Animas mining district yielded over $65 million in ore. You will have plenty of time to visit Silverton’s past along the former redlight district of Blair Street. You will also see the remains of those riches in the gold-domed courthouse and the Grand Imperial Hotel.