Entry No. 2 — the Durango file — filed under: outdoor-weird
Christ of the Mines Shrine
In 1959, Silverton hauled twelve tons of Carrara marble—cut from the same Italian quarries as Michelangelo’s David—500 feet up Anvil Mountain and begged it to protect the mines. It apparently listened. On June 4, 1978, Lake Emma collapsed through the Sunnyside Mine’s ceiling, blasting equipment out the portals with enough force to kill everyone underground. It was a Sunday. Nobody was. A 1982 plaque beneath the statue quietly logs that as the miracle locals still say it is.
The move: Walk the dirt Shrine Road up at dusk, read the 1982 miracle plaque to each other, then pick out Silverton’s whole grid glowing below.
📍 Before you go The shrine sits a few hundred feet above town on Anvil Mountain: take US-550 north out of Silverton and turn onto the first dirt road on the right (Shrine Road), or head up 15th Street to the unmarked lot just below the statue. The dirt road is fine for ordinary cars when dry, and from the parking area it is only a few minutes on rocky ground—wear real shoes, not flip-flops. Snow can make the road dicey in winter, though the shrine itself stands open year-round. Pairs naturally with a Durango & Silverton train layover or a Greene Street coffee before the drive back down the Million Dollar Highway.
- 📍 Silverton
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Shrine Road (County Rd 6) off US-550, Anvil Mountain, Silverton, CO 81433
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4
last checked: 2026-06-11