Rockwood is located at milepost 469.1 on the Silverton Branch of the San Juan Extension. The town predates the railway, having a post office as far back as 1876. The rails of the Denver & Rio Grande reached town on 26-Nov-1881 on their way to Silverton, and still exist today, hauling the trains of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

At one point, the town had a station, section house, bunkhouse, and coaling facilities. Today, it still has a small yard, passenger shelter (for flag stops) and a turning wye (not frequently used), and serves as storage for some DSNG equipment. It's also notable because it's the last place before Silverton - working north - that the branch can be accessed from public roads. North (railway west) of here, the line follows the rugged and inaccessible Animas River canyon. The famous High Line lies just a mile beyond Rockwood.

Also, Xcel Energy (formerly Public Service Co. of Colorado) keeps a motorcar here for trips north to the otherwise inaccessible Tacoma, CO, hydroelectric plant.

Maps and Photos

Photos from Rockwood