All Aboard the Durango Blues Train

The Durango Blues Train is a one-of-a-kind musical ride through the heart of the San Juan Mountains. It’s a live blues festival that takes place on a scenic narrow gauge railroad in one of the most beautiful locations in Colorado.

The trip takes about 3.5 hours and ends where it begins at the Durango Railroad Depot. It departs Durango four times throughout the year, over two weekends in May and August. This year the dates are May 31-June 1 & August 16-17, 2019.

There were six bands that played when we rode on Saturday night in May. It was easily one of the best events I’ve ever attended in Colorado. The sold out train was far less crowded than anticipated, as there was plenty of room to navigate between the cars to find your favorite tunes.

Durango Blues Train Car 2 — Car #2 had seats.

Beer was reasonably priced at $4 per can, but there wasn’t much to grub on, so eat before you ride. There are a few cars without music, so you can rest if you need to escape the noise for a minute.

While the locomotive turns around at Rockwood, the halfway point, you can get off the train for 15-20 minutes.

The May lineup included Dragondeer, Dan Treanor’s Afrosippi Band with Erica Brown and MJ, Cary Morin, Grant Sabin, Mark “Porkchop” Holder, and A.J. Fullerton featuring Big John Shrader.