Hermosa, much like Rockwood, CO, was a town originally settled in 1983-1874, before the railway arrived. It marked the end of the long, flat valley coming north from Durango and the start of the climb over the mountains towards Silverton.

The narrow gauge rails of the Denver & Rio Grande's Silverton Branch of the San Juan Extension arrived on 1-Nov-1881. For the next year or so, it would serve as a construction base for the line to the north. Hermosa would eventually have a siding, a water tank, a station, and a wye.

Today, only the siding and tank survive as part of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, though the property on the west side of the line has been turned into a maintenance yard for the DSNG. The 50000 gallon tank is no longer in active service, having been replaced by a contraption made out of an old tank car, similar to Tank Creek and Needleton.

Immediately south of Hermosa is a 64-foot wooden Howe pony truss bridge that crosses Hermosa Creek.

Maps and Photos

Photos from Hermosa