San Juan Backcountry Adventures — Attraction in Silverton

We booked an ATV Adventure Package as part of our Durango Silverton Train trip for 9/6/2022. We enjoyed the bus ride up to Silverton and the train ride back (4 Stars) but the ATV Adventure by San Juan Backcountry was not at all what we expected (1 Star).

The ATV description on the website does not come close to the actual experience.

No mention that a drivers license was required and would be photo copied, our credit card including the CVV was taken even though we had already paid in full for the excursion in advance.

Due to the road conditions, they should have provided face mask and air tight goggles. Instead when we were heading out the door, they said “oh, you have sun glasses, you’ll be fine”. When I asked if they had goggles at one of our stops, the guide said no, and that "we should have asked before we left”.

We were not aware that we would be traveling nearly 30 minutes (one way) on commercial used county roads. The dust was so bad that just the dust clouds from our own ATV vehicles were blinding and we could not breath. And when the commercial garbage trucks passed by, it was impossible to see or breath. We feared for our health with the clouds of dust that were unavoidable and blinding.

After 10-15 minutes we stopped and I asked why are we traveling so fast for these road conditions? Our guide told us that just after we left his speedometer failed and he had no idea how fast he was going. We were traveling 10 mph over the posted speed limits. He said he would slow down, but according to my speedometer, we were still traveling 7-10 mph OVER the posted speed limit.

We stopped after another 10 minutes and we were ready to turn around as the dust and traffic had been so bad, this was not what we had signed up for, but our guide indicated it would be much more scenic and we would be moving much slower. We ventured on at what seemed break-neck speed (remember our guides speedometer was broken). The further we traveled the more traffic we encountered, jeeps, SUV’s, two seater ATV’s, and motorcycles. We stopped for a break and we asked how much further to the final destination. We were told 2 miles. That meant a total of 4 more miles on these hellish conditions with so much traffic we felt unsafe. We decided to turn around falling short of our destination.

Heading down the rocky road at what seemed like break-neck speed again, we experienced a new terror when jeeps and SUV’s would pass us with no warning, coming within 12 inches of our ATV machines and scaring the living day-lights out of us. It was about this point that my wife’s speedometer also quit working.

We made it back to the dusty county road where I led the way back to the lot where the ATV’s were kept since I was the only one with a working speedometer. Luckily my wife’s ATV stayed in gear as it was held in place with a bungie cord. We’re just thankful that it didn’t slip out of gear during a critical time.

We made it back to the ATV park and the jeep we rode up in, totally covered with road filth and found nothing to clean up with for our included lunch.

Given our experience with faulty equipment, health, and safety concerns, in addition to breaking Colorado traffic laws, it seemed reasonable to us that some form of refund would be appropriate.

This was the response form the Durango Train companies Reservation Manager - I called San Juan Backcountry and discussed your situation. They assured me that the trip ran smoothly and without issues. I am sorry that you did not receive the trip you expected, but it was a fine example of the trip that we offer. We are unable to offer any refund for this trip. Best Regards,

We contacted San Juan Backcountry about destroying our drivers licenses and credit card information and received a response from them - simply “Done”. We also sent them our experience (listed above) "in case they wanted to comment or possibly offer some type of refund for our bad experience” before we posted our experience on social media sites, no...

First off I'm not an individual that writes many reviews, but I feel that this is necessary.

Earlier this week my employer sent a group of us to San Juan Backcountry Adventures in Silverton, Colorado for a team building vacation. I was very excited but also nervous about the upcoming tour through the mountains. I'm very familiar with going on guided tours and realize they can turn out to be the time of my life or one of the worse experiences of a vacation.

I am pleased to say I felt very comfortable with the upcoming tour after meeting with the owners and our guide. During the pretour meeting they fed us, took time to get to know everyone and their personalities, as well as lay down the rules and expectations for the upcoming days. I was particularly impressed with how quickly they were able to read each of us and by morning they had their pre-assigned positions and ATVs. They did a great job of planning a progressive tour. Day 1 was a easy ride with frequent stops for scenery, food, water, bathroom breaks, etc. These stops were also time for the guide to continue reading into his group that he was leading. Day 2 was the longest ride with moderate difficulty. The guide took us to some great spots from lush lake valleys to the peaks with some of the most stunning views in the Colorado mountains. Day 3 was the most difficult with a single goal to ascend a particular mountain with stops at waterfalls and mines. This was by far the most challenging day, but I had the upmost confidence in our guide at this point. I knew he would not do anything that our least comfortable member might not be up to.

For my closing comments I would like to include my personal observations of the business, owners, and its employees. The business its self is a well run and family owned. It was not uncommon to see the well behaved children of the owners helping customers answer questions, filling out paperwork, or with merchandise. The business was clean, equipment was well maintained, the storefront was clearly marked and easy to find. The owners are great people who are passionate about their business. They support the local economy by using restaurants for pre and post trip meals and hotels for lodging. Their employees are top notch! I truly enjoyed the time I spent with our guide. It did not take long for me to start talking to him on a personal level. I could tell he was passionate about what he does as well as our safety. He took time to get to know us in the evenings after our days ride. A guide like this is hard to find! San Juan Backcountry Adventure is very lucky to have him. Hats off to Larry, Jess, Erik, Kyler, and...

I would not recommend this ATV company. It shows minimum regard for what should be the first priority, safety; and it has shockingly poor customer service.

Our large family group reserved more than a month in advance. Yet, one of the vehicles, the 4 passenger ATV we reserved was not drivable condition and therefore not available. A more challenging to drive two seater was substituted. No training or education was provided. We were all (except one) novice ATV drivers. The experience is (very scenic and) tremendously dusty. Yet there are no goggles or bandanas available for purchase or rent. Eyes and mouth get very gritty. If there is an accident, no communication is possible while on the mountain. Our daughter, a mature adult, driving alone on a two seater, rolled. She was thrown into the roadside ditch and her ATV flew over her. Miraculously, she was “only” severely bruised, battered and in shock. The company’s Suburban vehicle took her back to their office in Silverton. A long, bumpy ride. Our entire family caravan turned around and followed. During this time the driver informed us, if anyone else had an accident, he would have no way of knowing since there is no way for them to communicate. His choice was to get our daughter down the mountain as quickly as possible , or wait and wait for the rest of our ATVs to overtake his Suburban. At the Silverton office, the staff advised our daughter’s husband to transport her to the nearest Urgent Care inside the Purgatory ski area, another 40 minutes away. They left immediately. To their dismay, it was closed. Not knowing what to do, they looked for the next closest Urgent Care. It was closed. They finally found care at Mercy Hospital. A couple days later, I went back to their office in Silverton. I suggested that they call the Urgent Care , when they send a patient, both to inform them and also to find out if it is open. I also suggested that they find a way to communicate better on the mountain to prevent suffering or disaster. (Later I talked to a nurse at that Urgent Care who was surprised since they expect to be and have been in frequent communication with Silverton) The response I got from the ATV woman was that she had been running the business for years and she did not care to be told how to run it. They should be shut down Please beware Thank you, Leika...