Silverton sits high in a bowl of the San Juan Mountains, hemmed in by steep slopes and old mining roads. It began as a silver and gold camp, and it still looks the part: a small grid of historic buildings, unpaved side streets, big peaks at the end of every view, and weather that reminds you this is over 9,300 feet above sea level.
Most visitors arrive either on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad or over the Million Dollar Highway from Ouray. Both approaches are spectacular. The train follows the Animas River canyon; the highway clings to the mountains through Red Mountain Pass with very little patience for nervous drivers.
Silverton is not polished like Telluride or Breckenridge, and that is the point. In summer it is a base for jeep roads, mine tours, and hikes such as Ice Lakes. In winter it becomes a serious snow town, anchored by Silverton Mountain, where the skiing is steep, guided, and not pretending to be gentle.