Snowmobiling from the Lodge

Most people who come to Silverton to ride park a trailer at a motel in town, sled all day, and drive back down to a room on Greene Street. This is the other option.

San Juan Backcountry Lodge sits two miles up Kendall Mountain at 10,400 feet, off-grid, with no neighbor within a mile. In winter you get there by snowmobile. The ride doesn’t start in a parking lot and end in a parking lot — it starts at the front door.

Getting In

County Road 33 runs from the edge of Silverton to the lodge. San Juan County grooms it through the winter, so the approach is a groomed run rather than a bushwhack. The road does cross avalanche paths, and for that reason the county requires guests to be escorted up.

We handle that through our partnership with Silverton Avalanche School. After you book, we arrange the escort — you don’t need to source a guide yourself. It covers the trip in and the trip back out.

That’s the extent of it. Once you’re at the lodge, your time is your own.

Bring Your Own Sleds

Plenty of our guests trailer their own machines up, and that’s the easiest way to do it.

Unlike UTVs, snowmobiles can be ridden legally within Silverton town limits. You don’t have to trailer out to a staging area — unload and ride.

Fuel is available in Silverton 24 hours a day through the winter. That matters more than it sounds like it should when you’re planning a long day and don’t want to be watching the clock.

Rentals

If you’re flying in or would rather not tow, Ice Pirate Backcountry Adventures rents sleds in Silverton. Let us know when you book and we’ll help you coordinate.

The Terrain

Silverton sits in a box canyon ringed by 13,000 and 14,000-foot peaks. The surrounding drainages and old mining roads open up hundreds of miles of riding, and the Alpine Loop road system — Engineer Pass, Cinnamon Pass, California Gulch — becomes snowmobile terrain once the snow comes in.

The San Juans average over 400 inches a year. Deep, dry, high-elevation snow.

It’s also serious avalanche country. Riding decisions off the groomed county road are yours to make. We’d encourage anyone heading into that terrain to carry a beacon, probe and shovel, and to check the Colorado Avalanche Information Center forecast before heading out. If you’d rather ride with a professional, we can connect you with local guides — but that’s your call, not a requirement.

The Lodge

Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, sleeps twelve. Built for groups.

• Fully off-grid: solar with battery storage and automatic generator backup
• Starlink internet and cell service
• Spring-fed water and propane hot water
• Wood stoves
• Full kitchen — bring your own food, there’s no store up here

Whole-lodge bookings only. Your group has the place to itself.

Season

Winter operations run November 1 through April 30. Peak snow is January through March. The lodge is not accessible in May.

Book Your Trip

Questions about sleds, trailers, or logistics — call Spencer at 801-884-9215.