Durango Silverton Cabin House – Waterfalls and Meadows

Welcome to our Cabin House. Come experience a peaceful stay at this scenic property within a national forest.
This cozy space sleeps 4 Families.
Streams, waterfalls, meadows, a fresh-water spring, forests, and spectacular views are all a part of the nearly 40 acres. There are also endless hiking, biking, backpacking, and winter activities in the San Juan National Forest.

The property is yours to explore and enjoy while you are here as long as you are respectful and careful. Feel free to stay and explore even after check-out (or before check-in).

Waterfalls: The main waterfall is a very easy, short hike; suitable for supervised children. Walk past the main house and there is a path that starts down the hill. When you come to the logs blocking that path, you should see a deer trail to your right. It will lead you to the top of the waterfall. The medium waterfall and the small river pool are a difficult hike downstream with no trail yet. The small waterfall is a medium difficulty hike upstream with an intermittent trail.

Cliffs: There is a small road off to the right that continues Northeast, before the main house. It hooks around to an old building site on a small cliff. Continue on that ridge back toward the House (Southeast) and you’ll get to the cliff overlooking the House.

Meadow: Back down the driveway the forest opens up to the meadow. To the right, down the hill, the meadow leads to the river a ways below the waterfalls.

Be aware of bears. This is their home as well. A few of the hikes, including the waterfall and cliff, have particularly dangerous aspects. Be careful.

1. Dirt Road:
The House is located 1.5 miles up a dirt road, off Highway 550. The last half mile is steep driveway, but except in snow, any car should work fine.

2. Limited Cell Service:
You will have issues with calls, texts, and data on all carriers. New T-Mobile phones that support the 1900 band (iPhone 7, SE, 6s) work for text and data in some areas near the house.

3. Internet Outages:
We have WiFi set up at the House, but the system is based off a cellular hot-spot and is often subject to outages. It also wont be super awesome for streaming or other heavy usage.

4. Bugs
There are quite a few bugs in the area. Bring mosquito repellent if you plan to remain outdoors and be careful of opening the doors at night after all the bugs gather to the light.

5. Bears
Bears live in these mountain. We saw one in July. He was minding his own business and we just went inside. Be aware and read about it on the Forest Service website.
Here is an excerpt:
“Being outdoors means being with wildlife. Many people never encounter a bear. But if you do, here’s some simple advice:
DO NOT RUN.
Remain calm.
Group together and pick up small children.
Continue to face the bear and back away slowly, talking calmly to identify yourself as a human.
If the bear continues to approach, try to scare it away by making yourself as large and imposing as possible by stretching your arms overhead and making loud noises.
Carry and know how to use bear spray, which is available at many outdoor retailers and can be used to deter a charging bear.

6. Rain
It often rains in the early to late afternoon. Long hikes in the area are best done earlier in the day, unless you are prepared for light to heavy rains.