Silverton

The Town of Silverton and its turn of the century town hall, court house, hotels, and Victorian homes are a National Historic Landmark. It is the only town in San Juan County and is the only non-agricultural county in the United States, due to it high altitude. The mining spirit that created Silverton in 1874 still lives through the memories and efforts of many town residents to preserve its historical character, many of whom worked in the mills and mines as recently as 1990. Now, many residents and leaders, particularly members of the county's historical society, work closely together to also meet the challenge of the changing times since mining finally declined past the point of economically sustaining the town.

Silverton's population of about 500 has been declining and economic challenges persist, however its location in a high mountain valley at 9,318 feet is increasingly a jumping off point for year-round, high-country recreation. This increasing interest in recreation and tourism possibilities places Silverton at a crossroad where its residents strongly desire to preserve its mining and railroad past, while taking advantage of a new future. There also is a strong support and desire, as demonstrated by a number of initiatives that are underway to connect community planning with public lands in the immediate vicinity of Silverton. One of these is a trails system planning effort and another is an extreme ski area and snow sports educational center. Discussions are occurring to determine the future of the area known as Eureka, which is a popular visitor camping area, and is owned by San Juan County and Sunnyside Gold.

Silverton is also the home of the Mountain Studies Institute.