Chicago Basin: Hiking in vs. Taking the train

[E_A_Marcus_949]

I did the hike in from Purgatory last year. It was an experience and my longest backpacking, though we did stop partway on the trail in to camp on the first day then all the way to the basin for a few days for the 14ers then split the hike out into 2 days. So we took our time. It was beautiful. That being said, I still very much want to experience the train and will opt to do that when I go back for the 13ers probably. As others have said, it depends on your goals/what you want out of your trip, what kind of experience you want, and how much time you have. I don't think you can go wrong!

[Exiled Michigander]

I haven't hiked from Purgatory, but I've hiked from Vallecito and taken the train. I enjoyed both, but if you are only going to make it to the Chicago Basin once in your life I'd recommend the train. It is a unique experience that you'll never forget, and you'll be revered as a demigod by the other passengers after getting back on the train once you've summited some high peaks!

[nyker]

I hiked in from purgatory. My main reason to do that was to free me up from the constraints of the train schedule and worrying about getting there on time, starting at whatever time and/or missing it and then what to do if had I missed it or if perhaps I wanted to stay an extra day at camp to explore. The additional cost really was not a factor since I'd have to pay an extra day for the rental car, gear and food for camp, etc anyway.

I also heard the hike in was fairly easy and very scenic moving across the river much of the time and it was indeed. I think I only saw two other groups of two people the whole time on the approach. My perspective might be different since I was coming from out of state and I wanted to maximize my time outdoors in the mountains rather than on trains packed with people. I might go back and take the train one day as more of a tourist thing to do as it does look cool but if I were to go there again to climb something I still would hike again to maintain that freedom and flexibility. The hike in also allows you to acclimatize an extra day a little more, again important for a flatlander less important for someone who lives at higher elevations, 5000ft or higher.

[yaktoleft13]

I've done both. It really depends what my gear load looks like and who I'm hiking with. If I've got a rope/rack, the train sounds nice. If it's just backpacking gear, purg ain't bad. The train is kind of a cool experience though, would definitely recommend doing it. The juxtaposition of the backpackers/tourists alone makes it worth it

[cougar]

I just did the train because I don't like backpacking, and have a heavy pack which was a burden enough to haul from Needleton. It was a nice train ride with good scenery, although there are the hassles of scheduling, weather and such worked out nicely. However, the train is very loud, between the rumbling on the tracks and the horn, twists a lot, and the diesel fumes you are behind for a couple hours aren't pleasant, and take away from the mountain air. They still run a coal/steam engine, but with no passenger cars, just saw it coming down the tracks while waiting for the actual train.

The 45 minutes or so out of Durango are dull before entering the canyon, a chunk of it paralleling 550. There's a stop at Rockwood but I don't think most people can get picked up or dropped off there, although there's a gravel parking area and it looks like a supply point for locals. Too bad they stopped drop offs from Silverton also. There's also quite a few cabins and a resort only accessible by rail in the canyon. The zipline course there is $600/day, making the train a bargain.