{"id":39537,"date":"2022-07-11T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-11T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/silverton-sees-strong-start-to-summer-season\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T02:50:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:50:34","slug":"silverton-sees-strong-start-to-summer-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/silverton-sees-strong-start-to-summer-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Silverton sees strong start to summer season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Tourists
Tourists walk downtown Silverton on Tuesday while shopping amid the rain. Silverton businesses have reported a strong start to the summer tourism season. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Rains have boosted daily trips on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad giving Silverton businesses and the local economy a much-needed shot in the arm.<\/p>\n

Tourism driven by the train and outdoor recreation has led to a strong start to Silverton\u2019s peak economic season after the COVID-19 pandemic spurred record activity over the last two years. But even as Silverton reports sustained growth, the town is combating challenges such as affordable housing as it looks to reshape its economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing a very strong summer season,\u201d said DeAnne Gallegos, executive director of the Silverton Chamber of Commerce. \u201cWe went into it knowing that the train was close to 40% up in bookings. Our campgrounds were going in booked, our lodgers were going in booked. We knew we were heading into a healthy summer and that is what we\u2019re seeing.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many of Colorado\u2019s communities, the COVID-19 pandemic was disruptive with public health closures and other precautions taking a toll on local businesses.<\/p>\n

But in Silverton, the only incorporated town in San Juan County, the opposite was true.<\/p>\n

An initial \u201clocals-only\u201d policy in early 2020 gave way to a wave of travelers seeking recreation and an escape around the small town nestled in the San Juan Mountains.<\/p>\n

A March 2021 analysis of visitors by the Colorado Tourism Office found that San Juan County was the county least impacted by the pandemic in Colorado. It wasn\u2019t just that San Juan County was unaffected, but visitation boomed.<\/p>\n

\"Bob
Bob Boeder, owner of the Silverton Train Store, helps John Crist on Tuesday as he shops in the store in downtown Silverton. The Silverton Train Store\u2019s business revolves around the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, and after the train returned to Silverton in 2021, Boeder had a record season. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cWe saw 160% growth in people in our tiny little county, and we were already skyrocketing in growth compared to 2019, which was already our high watermark,\u201d Gallegos said.<\/p>\n

Silverton\u2019s 2022 tourism season began with a hiccup when D&SNG was forced to pause operations for a few days because of fire risk, but with consistent rain in the second half of June the train has been operating unimpeded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe monsoons have been so welcoming for a number of reasons, but one of them has been that the train has been running consistently,\u201d said Beth Kremer, economic diversification and resiliency coordinator for the San Juan Development Association.<\/p>\n

Bob Boeder\u2019s Silverton Train Store revolves around the railroad. In 2021, he saw a big rebound in business when D&SNG returned to its normal Silverton operations after suspending them throughout 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me and a lot of these other businesses, last season was the best we\u2019ve ever had,\u201d Boeder said. \u201cThis summer isn\u2019t quite as good as last summer, but we\u2019re doing fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silverton will not have its sales tax figures for May until later this month, but in March sales tax was down 2% and in April 4%, backing up Boeder\u2019s assessment of the year to date.<\/p>\n

Silverton\u2019s explosive growth is plateauing, but the town is sustaining a level of economic activity that is about double what it was before the pandemic, Gallegos said.<\/p>\n

\"Greene
Greene Street in Silverton bustles with tourists on Tuesday. Silverton weathered the COVID-19 pandemic as more people sought an outdoor escape over the past two years. But that has not stopped the San Juan Development Association and the town of Silverton from working to make the local economy more sustainable year-round. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The start to 2022 has been mixed for Natalia\u2019s 1912 Restaurant.<\/p>\n

D&SNG\u2019s choppy start affected business, but the railroad rebooked many passengers and some visitors chose to drive to Silverton anyway, said Bill Walko, owner and operator of Natalia\u2019s 1912 Restaurant.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe majority of our business is lunch business with the train and that\u2019s been very strong this year. We\u2019re very grateful for that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But last October residents voted to ban off-road vehicles, ATVs and unlicensed dirt bikes within town limits.<\/p>\n

Natalia\u2019s 1912, which serves both lunch and dinner, has seen a significant drop in its dinner diners, which largely consisted of visitors in Silverton to recreate off-road, Walko said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this will probably turn out to be a pretty good year overall. It is disappointing that it\u2019s not going to be as (good as) it could have been,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

While Silverton\u2019s businesses eye another strong year, they also face the same pressures that have challenged businesses throughout the country.<\/p>\n

Cliff Pinto, owner of Pedal the Peaks in Silverton, has watched bicycle traffic and outdoor recreation boom in the area. But supply chain disruptions have left him unable to buy complete bikes from manufacturers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen increase (in people and interest), but I haven\u2019t been able to capture that increase because my inventory levels have been one-third of what they should be in a typical year if I could get product,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Silverton has also not been immune to labor shortages.<\/p>\n

\"Tourists
Tourists visit downtown Silverton on Tuesday shopping in stores and looking for souvenirs. Tourism accounts for 87% of Silverton\u2019s economy and 57% of its workforce, said Beth Kremer, economic diversification and resiliency coordinator for the San Juan Development Association. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cWe pay attention to inflation, gas prices, all of that, but I would say the No. 1 thing that\u2019s impacting our business community is the staffing shortage,\u201d Gallegos said. \u201cThere are times that they can\u2019t open their doors because they don\u2019t have the human capital to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The residual effects of the pandemic have further driven action that was already underway to reshape Silverton\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n

Tourism accounts for 87% of the town\u2019s economy and 57% of its workforce, Kremer said.<\/p>\n

Kremer said the town of Silverton and San Juan County are working together to diversify the economy and extend the spring and fall shoulder seasons.<\/p>\n

The San Juan Development Association has helped to recruit two new companies within the last year \u2013 Sasquatch Expedition Campers, which manufactures heavy-duty camper trailers, and TripOutside, an online booking service for outdoor gear and tours.<\/p>\n

The Silverton Creative District has also been looking at putting on more events that can attract visitors outside the summer peak season, Kremer said.<\/p>\n

The goal is ultimately to create a robust economy where businesses can stay open year-round and where employees can maintain a consistent paycheck without having to shift between jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are super aware that most of our economy is tourism and outdoor based, but how we use both of those and create a more sustainable year-round economy is really important,\u201d Kremer said.<\/p>\n

To achieve that goal, Silverton will have to address affordable housing, with the town struggling much like Durango to meet the needs of its workforce.<\/p>\n

\"Cindy
Cindy MacDougall, with Skyflower Boutique, assists tourists in downtown Silverton on Tuesday as they shop. The San Juan Development Association and town of Silverton aim to create a robust economy where businesses can stay open year-round and where employees can maintain a consistent paycheck without having to shift between jobs, said Beth Kremer, economic diversification and resiliency coordinator for the San Juan Development Association. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Plans are already underway. San Juan Development Association recently received a grant from the Colorado Division of Housing that will help to build four affordable single-family homes beginning later this year.<\/p>\n

A second phase aims for the construction of 10 to 12 townhomes with construction starting next summer, Kremer said.<\/p>\n

In the long term, San Juan Development Association and the town of Silverton hope to build four additional single-family homes and an apartment complex with about 20 units, a development that was aided by a grant that the town of Silverton received from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs to support its purchase of about an acre of land for future housing.<\/p>\n

While years out, those plans are visible on the horizon, and they represent a not-so-distant future that Kremer and others in Silverton envision in which businesses such as those of Boeder, Walko and Pinto can make the most of the train and outdoor recreation during the summer while also tapping into a strong local economy during the rest of the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cSilverton will find its way to a more stable economy, but it\u2019s something that we need to be active in (pursuing),\u201d Kremer said. \u201cI\u2019m really hopeful with what that will look like in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

ahannon@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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