Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
are guided around the old gold-mine workings. There are demonstrations of drilling
equipment and 1930s-era mining machinery.
Panning for gold is included in the tour price - an area is regularly 'salted' with gold
dust. Significantly, the tour is totally wheelchair accessible.
San Juan Backcountry
(
TOURS
970-387-5565, 800-494-8687;
www.sanjuanbackcountry.com
; 1119 Greene St; 2hr tour adult/child $60/40;
May-Oct; )
Offering both 4WD tours and rentals, the folks at San Juan Backcountry
can get you out and into the brilliant San Juan Mountain wilderness areas around Silver-
ton. The tours take visitors around in modified open-top Chevy Suburbans.
Sleeping
Silverton Hostel
( 970-387-0115;
www.silvertoninnandhostel.com
;
1025 Blair St; dm $20)
In the summer this creaky
home gets overrun with college groups on geology field trips, but if you are on a shoes-
tring it's probably your best bet. It has a fire pit, a grill and communal showers that defin-
itely merit wearing flip-flops.
HOSTEL
$
Silver Summit RV Park
( 970-387-0240, 800-352-1637;
www.silversummitrvpark.com
; 640 Mineral St; RV sites $36 plus electricity $4;
May 15-Oct 15; )
Like so much else in Silverton, Silver Summit is a mixed business run-
ning rental Jeeps out of the RV park headquarters (two-/four-door Jeep Wranglers $155/
185). The park has good facilities, including a laundry, hot tub, fire pit and free wi-fi.
CAMPGROUND
$
Inn of the Rockies at the
Historic Alma House
(
B&B
$$
970-387-5336, 800-267-5336;
www.innoftherockies.com
; 220 E 10th St; r incl breakfast $109-173;
)
Opened by a local named Alma in 1898, this inn has nine unique rooms furnished with
Victorian antiques. The hospitality is first-rate and its New Orleans-inspired breakfasts,
served in a chandelier-lit dining room, merit special mention. Cheaper rates are available
without breakfast. There's also a garden hot tub for soaking after a long day.
HOTEL
$$
Bent Elbow
