san juan backcountry

We were a group of 6 booked a 2 hr snow mobiling afternoon tour. No sooner had we left the base one of the other motors started having problems. Instead of taking that snow mobile back to the base and swapping it over the mechanic then started trying to fix it..and we all waited and waited, then lift off and a few hundred meters down the road the same problem again....and again...and again. By this time the mechanic and tour guide were bickering as well! If we got 1/2 hour riding it was a lot. Finally we were told that because of the inconvenience the tour would carry on later to make up time...but wait..we stopped again! While we were waiting it was getting colder and colder and there were also 2 very young children in the other group. Eventually we said just get us back to base as the temperature was dropping well below freezing as the sun was going down. We finally got back to base to thaw out. Noah, our tour guide was most apologetic and said he would inform the owners; we had expressed to him our disappointment and requested a refund - he said he would let the owners know. The other party wanted a full refund (and were furious) as they were on the troubled vehicle so hardly had any time moving.The following day we heard nothing from the owners (who were too happy to take the booking) so we called and left a message...no answer, after three calls we finally got the owner who played as if he knew nothing of the problem tour, did not apologise nor offer to refund. We finally got a 50% refund...should have had a 100% refund...Would not recommend this outfit. Rather use the snow mobiling outfit at Durango Mountain Resort....maybe not as exciting trails but at least you get a ride! Shocking customer service on the part of the owners!

The day we were to ride the bus up to Silverton from Durango, take a jeep ride through the backcountry then ride the train back began very rainy. We were in the clouds the entire ride to Silverton & when we went to get off the bus the driver informed us the tracks had been washed out. Crazy Bob was there with the jeep to pick us up, but advised us to get back on the bus as there was no other way to get back. The rest of the passengers decided to stay a couple of hours in Silverton, and Bob followed us and offered to take us on a tour. Of course we said yes, the day was already a partial bust and why not enjoy part of it. Crazy Bob was very knowledgeable about the old mines and was able to tell us stories of the mining days, plus show us places you never see without taking this kind of a tour. Would it have been better if the sun had been out, sure, but he did his best to make it a fun experience and we got to go thru some running water and up and down hairpin turns, we even got to see Crazy Bob's Gunsight Waterfall:-) We used up the entire 2 hours with the tour and took the box lunch with us to eat on the bus ride return to Durango. I would definitely recommend San Juan Backcountry Tours, who have no control over the weather (it is the mountains after all). They also made sure we got our money refunded on the train tickets.

October 10, 2014, we had a fantastic ATV Tour with Tony, our guide. Awesome tour. The weather for us desert dwellers from Arizona was fabulous. We had rain, hail, and sleet on the ride. We were smart enough to bring winter clothing since this area can climb to 11,000' and with it being October and in the Fall season, we didn't want to be cold. Tony had a knowledge of history of the area and showed us where each town was and even had some pictures of what the area looked like back in the early settler days. The scenery was breathtaking. We took the bus to Silverton and the Durango/Silverton Narrow Guage Railroad back to Durango. The day was a bit rushed but turned out great none the less. It was a great day of fun and would do it again in a heartbeat.

October 10, 2014...Tony was our guide....awesome tour. We had a blast and loved the wet weather. Tony definitely knew the history of the area, we stopped a few places on the trail for him to tell us the significance of the area. The scenery is amazing! I do wish the trail back was different than the trail there. If you're riding the train back to Durango then the experience is a bit rushed. It would be better if you're staying in Silverton or driving yourself back to Durango. At any rate....all of us had a blast.

We were excited about doing a Silverton ATV tour with San Juan Backcountry, but worried about the late September weather. When making the reservations, we were assured that the tour would be cancelled and we would get a full refund if the weather did not cooperate.Well, the weather did not cooperate. It was snowing in the high country and a major storm system was in progress, with flash flood advisories. When we arrived at the business it was snowing, wet and cold, and the streets were flooded. That is when the business owner informed us there were no refunds. However, we could take a jeep tour instead, which would be better for the multiple river crossings, as the rivers were flooding. Our driver did his best to give us a good experience, but it was not the experience we had hoped for. If you hope to go on one of the Silverton tours, especially the ATV tour, do not make your reservations far in advance. Wait until you are certain of the weather forecast. Also, there are numerous tour operators in the town, not just the one. They are also cheaper than this one.

We were bused to Silverton for our 3 hr ATV tour. There were only 3 of us and we had 1 ATV and 1 side by side. Dan was our tour guide and he had lots of great information about the beautiful mountains. We went up trails on the mountain side with steep drops offs! It was scary but gorgeous! The aspens were in full bloom. We had lunch at an old mine with lots to explore in the area. We were even given the pack the lunch came in to keep! We had a ball on the trip and if we get back to the area would definitely take the tour again!! Great way to see the real Colorado!

We had planned to rent a jeep and go on our own. So happy we didn't! Our guide Freddie was amazing! He knows this area so well and was very accommodating to our every need. I can't imagine coming to the beautiful mountains and not see what the back country is like. Saw ghost towns, old munes, and breathtaking mountain views! Thanks Freddie & Mark!

I just came back from my first true back country Jeep trip in the San Juan's. Our guide was Tony Vowel and he provided us with a truly rememberable experience. We tried to get over Cinnamon and Engineer Pass. Unfortunately, both passes were closed, but Tony got as as far as the Jeep could get us. We hiked a bit to a pass near Engineer for a great view of the other side. To end the day we visited Stony Pass and and Buffalo Boy Mine. Both extraordinary places. I would highly recommend San Juan Backcountry for any guided forays into the mountains. Ask for Tony. He will make it worth your time and money.

We arrived in Silverton by train and we were spending the night. After lunch we were walking on the Main Street and decided to take a jeep ride. San Juan backcountry suggested a 4 hour tour in the mountains. Crazy Bob was our driver. What a treat. We went by some mines, and up to Black Bear Pass. Bob's knowledge of the area and its history made trip most enjoyable.

We had a wonderful tour of the San Juan Mountains. Our guide, Freddie, was so knowledgeable and shared so many interesting facts. We would highly recommend taking one of their tours of their beautiful area. Thank you, Rick & Vivian.

My husband and I took the lunch ATV tour as a package provide with the Durango Train. To save some money we reserved the side by side ATV. We took the bus to Silverton and Tony, our tour guide, was promptly waiting for us upon our arrival to the town. We quickly geared up and man... we had such a fun time!!! The tour was extremely personalized because it was only the two of us on this tour. Tony seemed knowledgeable about the area and shared tons of information about the area throughout the tour. We rode on dirt roads, rocky roads, over water, did some small jumps... we absolutely had a ball! We drove by a few ghost towns and stopped for lunch at the ghost town of Animas Fork. Tony provided sandwiches, snacks, water and the lunch bag is for you to keep. After lunch, you would normally return to Silverton the same way we came, but since we were keeping up and were doing good on time, Tony took us back through the California Pass. That was even more fun than the way we came in and with spectacular views of the mountains and valleys. At the end we were completely covered with dirt but did not care one bit. Dirt was the proof we had an awesome time! Would recommend everybody to take an ATV tour with San Juan Backcountry.

WOW. This was a great adventure and our guide (Wild Mike)was awesome. Will be doing this again!!!! Quality family entertainment

The tour bus from Durango took us to Silverton where our tour guide Dan was waiting for us. He gave us an experience we will never forget. We rented the side by sides and had the best day of our whole trip to the area. We rode up high into the mountains on rocky trails, thru streams to some old abandoned mines sites. The views were spectacular and the ride was amazing. On the train ride down to Durango all we could talk about was the ATV ride. We plan on coming back for an 8 hour tour with the kids and you can bet we will be requesting Dan as our guide.

Our tour guide Bill took us on an ATV ride that we really enjoyed. We were able to see so many great sites. Because we were experienced riders we got through the planned trail pretty quickly so Bill took us to an additional destination that we just loved. Lunch was great, the staff was super friendly and the vehicles that we rode were pristine. We will plan another trip with San Juan Backcountry on our next trip to Colorado!

Took the bus from Durango to Silverton. Immediately boarded a vehicle to the San Juan Backcountry office only a couple of blocks away. Within minutes, Dan was leading us on rocky trails to view old mining areas. Scenery was spectacular and lunch was provided. He was a perfect guide, giving us space to go at our own pace. It was a terrific way to explore the area before heading back to Durango on the narrow gauge train. What a day!!! Thanks Dan