My husband loves trains, specifically steam trains. One of the reasons that we came to Durango was for us to ride the train. We chose a trip to Cascade Canyon. It’s a five hour trip, which stops at a spot in between Durango and Silverton. We opted not to take the Silverton trip because it was an eight hour trip. (He knew I would not be able to handle it.) The train tickets cost between $80-$90 per person. The more expensive tickets are for the first class cars. Our only choices were inside or outside car. We chose inside. The seats are not huge for two people. If you are a larger person, it might be difficult to fit both your butts on the seat. We had to sit just right to both fit. You have an option to pre order a boxed lunch or bring your own food. There is also a concession car to get snacks, hot dogs, burritos, and drinks (hot, cold, and alcoholic). We decided to bring our own food. The cars are not exactly heated, so you should be sure to bundle up. The view from our window was great, but we got up and checked out the open car just to stretch our legs.

The coolest areas are those where the train is right on the cliff next to the Animas River. We loved being in the open car during this time, but were happy we could return to our regular seats to get out of the wind.

The train had to stop twice before we reached Cascade Canyon. The first stop was because someone jumped on the open car as we were leaving town. The conductor told us that had never happened before. The man was apparently on drugs and left quickly when they mentioned the police would be called. The second stop was to add water to the engine. It was next to this waterfall.

Cascade Canyon is a stop in the middle of nowhere, as you can see in the above pictures. There are a bunch of picnic tables next to the river and a gazebo with picnic tables under cover. It was quite windy and colder than we were dressed to handle. We ate under the gazebo and took a walk around the area, but got back on the train in plenty of time before our hour was up. The ride is incredibly scenic and beautiful. If you are a train lover, you should definitely take a trip.