Camping in the Animas Valley
Get to this Colorado gem faster with the Durango Silverton Railroad
The Wemuniche Wilderness and Animas Valley are great camping destinations for the whole family. To access the 400,000-acre wilderness, most hiking enthusiasts use the three-mile trail on US HWY 550 North, across from Durango Mountain Resort.However, there is a better way to get there.
Imagine the sound of a steam horn bellowing in the wind before you. The thin summer air bristles the tiny hairs on the back of your hand as you hold it out the window. Ahead is a bend in the mountainside. You look ahead and see the most amazing scenery of your life, punctuated with the beautiful and nostalgic image of an antique locomotive carrying you to your remote destination.
You are heading to Cascade Creek, Colorado. A place that can not be reached by any road. Either you have hiked 3 miles over some very rugged country, or you are a passenger on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Rail Road.
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (DSNGR) runs from Durango to Silverton Colorado every day throughout the summer months and although the trip is nearly fifty miles and takes about five hours, there are a few stops along the way.
One of these stops is at Cascade Creek, a small picnic area next to the beautiful Animas River, which runs all the way down the Animas Valley. The train uses this stop for water but also takes on passengers here. One could, in fact, board the train in the town of Durango with backpacks and gear, ride to Cascade Creek and depart. The scenery on the way is breathtaking and once you're there, you're all alone. Once the train returns the next day, you can leave the wilderness and return to town.
Be prepared to camp roughly - there is no running water or electricity. This is a destination for real outdoorsy people. But don't be intimidated either. A pavilion and restrooms await campers near the train tracks where departures take place. It's up to the camper to decide how far from the tracks they would like to venture.
Although a round-trip ticket from Durango to Silverton is rather expensive ($75 and up), one could get passage to Cascade inexpensively. There is another depot at a station called Rockwood, which is some fifteen miles south of Cascade Creek. This would be the place to board the train. There is limited parking available here, but the train ride would not take as long, and the railroad would be more apt to cut a deal on boarding costs.
If you're looking for a great vacation or you have ridden the DSNGR train before and are looking for something different, give camping at Cascade Creek a shot. Simply contact the ticket office at the railroad and ask about a pick -up and drop-off at Cascade Creek.
For more information Durango & Silverton click here.
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