Where is Silverton Mountain Colorado?

Silverton Mountain is located in the San Juan Mountain range in southwest Colorado. The ski area is 6 miles from the town of Silverton. Silverton is about 48 miles north of Durango (and the closest airport) and 357 miles (575km) southwest of Denver, which is about a 6 hour drive away depending on road conditions.

Ski Areas Near Silverton

CO Kendall Mountain ski area is located in the town of Silverton. It’s a tiny little family ski hill with 4 main runs, 240 feet of vertical and one double chairlift. Lift tickets are super cheap and kids 5 and under ski for free.

Purgatory Ski Resort is about 30 minutes southwest. Purgatory is a full service ski resort that is great for families and others who love groomers and moguls.

Telluride ski resort is not far away as the crow flies, but it’s about 73 miles away by road to the northwest. Wolf Creek is 2.5 hours away to the southeast.

Cat Skiing Nearby

For those who love powder but aren’t so fussed about earning their turns, there is a cat ski operation in the area; guided backcountry skiing with uphill transport provided by a snowcat, a grooming machine with a cabin on the back. Silverton Powdercats is a 10 minute drive (6 miles / 9.6km) south of the town of Silverton. The terrain is largely suited to strong intermediate to advanced riders.

Flying

The closest airports are Durango (the La Plata County Airport) and Montrose. You can look at flight options here.

Durango regional airport has flights from hubs such as Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth and Phoenix. The airport is 63 miles south (about 1:15hours) of the town of Silverton.

Montrose is 64 miles north of Silverton with direct flights from Denver, LAX, Chicago, Newark, Houston and Atlanta.

Driving to Silverton CO

Self-drive is about the only way to get to Silverton. All the regional airports have car rental outlets. A 4WD is not essential but will certainly be beneficial, especially for the road up to Silverton Mountain and the parking lot.

Silverton is surrounded on either side by mountain passes that are avalanche prone and close occasionally during storms. Highway 550 over the Red Mountain pass is spectacular but it’s hairy by US standards when it has snow on it (but not by New Zealand standards!). Highway 550 over Molas Pass (the Durango side) is also picturesque, but thankfully it’s not as windy as Red Mountain Pass.

From the town of Silverton, the route up to Silverton Mountain is well sign-posted. The road is wide and initially asphalted and then it becomes unpaved and covered in snow. It’s somewhat steep, but the drive is certainly not treacherous.

Getting Around Silverton Colorado

The town of Silverton is tiny so you’ll be able to navigate the streets on foot. However if you want to drive around you’ll have absolutely no problems finding a rock star car park right out the front of a restaurant or your lodging.