San Juan Backcountry

Caleb Carr

2023-11

Was an absolute blast on the UTV ride. Many spectacular views with a ghost town you can actually walk-around in! Staff was amazing at suppling gear for the cold weather. Definitely a must do if you come to silverton!

Bridget Mucha

2023-10

Wow! My husband and I had an amazing time on our ATV tour up to Animas Forks and partially up Engineer Pass!! I say partially because it got a bit hairy with a blind, narrow, exposed turn and we decided to turn around. Jessica with SJB was so friendly and gave us GREAT advice as far as where to drive. Her dog is adorable and an even better reason to go visit them and rent with SJB!! Thank you so much, Jessica, for making our honeymoon so much fun and memorable!!

Logan Henning

2023-12

Had an awesome time with San Juan Backcountry! Everyone there is so nice and we were able to catch some incredible fall colors. Best off-roading experience ever!

Tabitha Maize

2023-09

I had an awesome time on my tour with Dave! If you want someone knowledgeable AND entertaining then I highly recommend having him as your guide! I got to see incredible views, experience all kinds of terrains, and learn about some of the rich mining history in San Juan County, I would go again for sure!

Matt Kester

2023-08

Had a wonderful time taking my son and my mother around the Alpine Loop in one of their well maintained Rubicons. I was able to set the appointment that afternoon before via their very easy to use online booking tool. Our Jeep was ready to go and the check in process was very fluid and simple. The attendant who helped us was nice and went over all the important details and answered any and all questions.One thing to know before you rent is that you will be asked to wash your Jeep off before returning it at a nearby washday. Be sure to bring some loose small bills with you to facilitate this process.All in all, a very pleasant experience and I would not hesitate to rent from them again in the future!

Jeff Smolen

2023-07

Rented a two seater for a full day ride in and around the Alpine Loop. Engineer Pass was "Open," but actively discouraged by the wonderful staff, so we decided to heed their warning and hit Cinnamon Pass and other trails between Silverton and Lake City. Was not disappointed.The staff was knowledgeable and friendly at both the check in (paperwork) and Gear up (hop in and Go!) parts of the process.The CanAm UTV we drove was able to handle everything in its path, no matter how sketchy the trail was, and still had plenty of gas left after a full day on the trails.Thanks for a fantastic day!

Melanie Flatt

2023-07

We had a great experience renting our UTVs from this business. We had a pretty large group, but Jessica was so friendly and patient with us. She was great with our kids, and made the whole process enjoyable. The UTVs were nice and in good condition. Highly recommend!!

steve warren

2023-10

Had a fantastic day driving the Alpine Loop out of Silverton! Thanks San Juan Backcountry Adventures for the Jeep! The Jeep Rubicon was perfect for the day, well maintained and fully capable of the rough trails. We will be back!

Clayton Gold

2023-05

Our side by side we brought with us from Missouri broke down on day 2 of our 5 day stay. I called everywhere, trying to get something rented for the budget we had for our vacation. San Jaun Backcountry was the 3rd I called in hopes of getting a UTV lined up for the rest of our trip. The lady I spoke to (pardon me, I'm terrible with remembering names) was very kind, listened to my predicament, and was more than accommodating. I'm a retired veteran, so she gave me a 10% discount as well! They were cheaper than the other places I called and actually took time to hear what I had to say. She taught me a few things about local riding laws, and I learned my two youngest children needed helmets, so she threw the two helmets in the deal for them. They also provide maps and give great recommendations on where to go to really enjoy the scenery and have some fun rides. My experience with their staff, including the awesome gentleman that met us to get the side by side, the actual side by side itself, and the way I was treated was just phenomenal. I highly recommend renting from them. They keep very nice side by sides, the machine I rented was amazing and comfortable.On the same note, the lady there who helped me has a daughter who does nails. I wanted to take my girls to get their nails done, but we ran out of time. But her daughter was very nice and had the entire set up for nails. So take your wives or daughters with you when you rent a side by side!

staci kw

2023-05

Great 4 hour Jeep tour with Dave. Knowledgeable asked us what we wanted to see. We had a fun adventure and never felt unsafe. The views were incredible and the jeep ran phenomenally. We didn’t want the tour to end. Highly recommended this tour if you are in the area.

Rob Swartz

2024-01

I have been a customer of San Juan Backcountry for years. I am sorry to say that this company has become horrible to do business with. I tried to rent a machine this past October. I needed to ask a few questions so I emailed the company. I didn't hear back, so I called and left a message. I didn't hear back. I called again and finally got Jessica, one of the owners. I was able to get my questions answered so I could book a reservation. I ended up having to cancel that reservation due to inclement weather. San Juan Backcountry charges a 10% cancellation fee, which is understandable. What I don't understand is that I was charged 15% for my cancellation fee. Over the past two months I have tried to contact Jessica, at San Juan Backcountry, to get the overcharged amount returned to me. I have sent two emails and left two detailed voicemails over those 8 weeks, allowing ample time for a response. No one has returned my messages. It appears San Juan Backcountry is not concerned about overcharging their customers. Beware of this company. There are other options for adventure rentals in the area and I encourage you to look elsewhere.

Sean Ayres

2023-05

Rented the UTV last minute the same day. They were excellent over the phone and very kind in person. Their parking lot was full where we had to meet right outside of town so Jason gave our family a ride there. He was very polite to us and awesome to talk to. The experience was great! Loved every moment of it.

Karl Richtenburg

2022-05

Amazing adventure!We took a guided tour up to Kendall Peak (13,500ft) and it was definitely worth it. The views are incredible, and there is a whole different world up there to experience. Make sure to ask for Brad. He lives in Silverton year round and really knows his stuff. Safely got us up and down on paths we would have never done on our own. Five stars.

Sonia m

2023-08

Best experience ever! Dave has a great personality! Deliver exceptional experience I will always remember.

Carlos Fuentes

2022-05

One of the most amazing experiences I've ever gotten to have for sure. I went into it that day with a sour attitude and left feeling like I was on cloud nine. You get to see so much and cover so much ground it's quite unlike anything you can do if you're vacationing in the area or don't have the vehicles necessary. I do photography as well and this allowed me to cover so much ground and see so much more than I ever possibly could have in a day. I would describe it as a surreal experience to say the least.Now for the less exciting part, it's pricey. I by no means make a lot of money so if you're in the same boat keep in mind this is a bit of a pricey experience. But you also get what you pay for as the aforementioned beauty of what you get to see. As well time management is a bit tough. We paid for the most amount of time we could have and still weren't able to complete the trail with all the stops we took along the way at the different locations.None the less I would highly recommend this to anyone who has the means. Small groups, large groups, even solo, it's well worth it. It was a one of a kind experience that you can't do hiking or on your own unless you have the experience/vehicle already.

Zafar

2023-06

Absolutely most amazing day of my entire trip! Thanks so much Dave, I truly appreciate all that you’ve shown me! He is very knowledgeable of the area and I would not have seen half the sights without him! Absolutely a must-have experience!

Katie Klug

2022-05

We had a wonderful rental experience! Our planned UTV rental fell on a rather cold day - San Juan Backcountry was very accommodating, and allowed us to change to a Jeep rental at the last minute.

Stephen Pesnell

2023-08

I didn’t stand inside this facility for all of 10 minutes. I requested the green Jeep Rubicon out front. She agreed, I filled out the waiver. She took my card, handed me the keys to a red Jeep sport, I declined after she gave no reason why. She said that she still had to charge my card for $344. Furthermore, sign inside the office said supports military. I had asked about military discount in very beginning and she said they don’t do that.

DARIN SNYDER

2023-07

We did the 3 day adventure tour. Had a great time. Dave is a great guide. Give them a try

Hannah Johns

2020-05

San Juan Backcountry is the place to go for the excitement of a lifetime! Family of 4 took 2 ATVs into the mountains for 4 hours with a guide. We couldn't have asked for better views of Silverton and the Rocky Mountains. Staff was VERY friendly and our guide was AMAZING! Nate knew all the best places to take us and was so kind. HIGHLY RECOMMEND for those looking for a daring ride.

Timothy Lynch

2021-05

My daughter and I were looking for a UTV experience in the Ouray/Silverton area and after checking around, we found San Juan Backcountry. The staff is excellent. They recommended a route that took us to some incredible jaw-dropping places - all within the 4-hour rental time we had opted for. Their rental rates are the best in the area! We highly recommend San Juan Backcountry!

Brian K'Meyer

2023-09

Easily booked the evening guided tour which was open to what we wanted to see in the area. Dave took us in a nice clean Jeep out for a great tour. He was super knowledgeable about the area and we had a great conversation the entire time. Out of a week of different tours and adventures this is for sure at the top of the list. Would come back to do more and see some of the passes.

Marissa Johnson

2023-11

I reached out to the company directly asking them to address my concerns before I posted the below, no response.When we arrived, we were told to watch a 2-3 minute video about how to work the 4-wheelers. We were then given 2 terrible maps without any recognizable landmarks included & the lady again very quickly walked us through how to locate the 4-wheelers & then the trail to ride on. Due to the quick verbal directions (to people who have never been to this town before) & the low-quality map, we were immediately lost. When I called the number on the keys, I spoke to the same lady who was extremely rude & very obviously annoyed that we couldn't locate the 4-wheelers. She stated multiple times, "it's literally so easy, just go back to town & start over'. Great customer service lol! So, we were on our own & finally found them. We then had no idea how to locate the trails but just decided to just go on any trails we could locate as I wasn't going to call her back again, she was not helpful at all.Once at the base of some trail we located, we attempted to toggle into 4wd & low gear. We had 4-wheelers, 3, 4 & 5. We had no issue with #4 but #3 & #5 would not move once in low gear. We tried everything we knew & had seen (or thought we'd seen) in the quick 2-3 minute video. No luck, they wouldn't work. I text the number, tried calling it & no answer. We sat there & waited in the snow for about 10 minutes & then turned around, placed the 4-wheeler back the way it was previously working & rode them back on the road to the place they were parked. Took our pictures, sent them to her & again waited for her thumbs up to leave. We finally received this. She then called me back & wanted to argue with me about the fact that there was nothing wrong with the 4-wheelers, which I advised I wasn't going to argue with her about. I told her the facts of what we attempted to do but couldn't get them to run so we returned them. We had them out for a total of 30 minutes, even while we were attempting to contact her. By the time she called me back, we had already parked them, taken off our warm clothes & were sitting in our car, waiting for her to give us a thumbs up so we could leave. Again, she was very rude on the phone, dismissive & provided no sympathy or apology for the situation.

Paige

2023-05

**long post**Visited Silverton & Durango June 2022. I found San Juan Backcountry rentals on google with good reviews and they didn’t disappoint!We booked ahead online and completed the online forms provided (this saved a lot of time the day of the rental). The staff were super nice and helpful. We knew the Alpine loop is where we wanted to go and they pointed us in the right direction.Lastly .. we forgot our sunglasses in the Jeep and didn’t realize until we made it back to the Texas sun while driving home. I know this was such an inconvenience to both SJB and ourselves for our mistake but SJB was so helpful and we were able to get shipping packages to them. So thankful for great customer service and them being so kind!We are already planning our next trip and will definitely use SJB again.*FYI Returning the rentals: there is a gas station on 9th st & the car wash is on the same street beside the bicycle shop (if the bay doors are closed it looks like a mechanic shop)

Chase P.

2023-05

Great experience! Weather could’ve been better, but they were a great host, we will definitely be back!

Roger Devore

2023-08

These people are awesome, they gave us exactly what we ask for and more. I highly recommend them for any of your San Juan needs while in Silverton...they are the best. We took the 8 hr guided trip and had the most awesome guide. Dave, our Guide, gave of an experience of a lifetime! He was allot of fun, very knowledgeable of the San Juan's and one hell of a driver...highly experienced driver. There is no way I could have driven the roads he took us on and we are Jeep owners. His personality is awesome, he kept us laughing all day....but these roads are not for the faint hearted...ask my wife LOL. I cannot say enough good about this company and our driver....they are awesome and local people who know the mountains extremely well. You will not be let down with this company and I cannot recommend Dave enough!!!! Thank you guys for the experience and beauty of a lifetime....pictures will never do our trip justice. We will be back !!!!!

Lynda N.

2021-05

We rented both an UTV and ATV and had a great time driving the ghost town path which was a combination of paved, rocky, or dirt roads. We got to see a variety of terrain from different elevations. Don't forget to fuel up and wash your rental before you return it (4 blocks away).

Bruce Verde

2018-05

A ton of fun!! Mike and Rebecca were terrific guides. Visited 4 peaks above 12000 ft. Great pictures too. I will recommend to all my friends.

Zac Martin

2023-07

What an amazing experience. My 16yr old son and I had a half day guided trip with Dave. They asked us what we were interested in, any fears of heights, etc. Dave was great! We saw fantastic overlooks, up to 14,000 ft, abandoned mines, camps. And phenomenal off roading! We will certainly be back! Thank you San Juan Backcountry for a WONDERFUL experience!

Travis A

2022-05

Rental 4 wheeler snapped the CVT belt within 2 miles of leaving the lot. We brought our buddy back to San Juan Backcountry to see about a replacement or repair, we were met with a flustered young lady (rightfully so, quite busy this time of year and people are unnecessarily rude). She set us up with another 4 wheeler and took the keys to the original rental.The roundtrip back to the rental location and then back up to the trail head (barely made it off pavement mind you) took about 2.5 hours out of his rental, and more importantly our day. When we finally brought it back in, we were met with a much more abrasive lady that informed us that we still had to ensure that the original rental was cleaned and full of gas, the one that was at the trailhead...When we asked about a refund for the hours lost due to their poorly maintained equipment, the older lady (presumably an owner/manager) argued back claiming that graciously gifting us an extra hour or two with the rental should suffice. Except for the fact that our group was on a scheduled ride that had to end at 4pm.Moral of the story? Rent elsewhere, and hopefully you won't end up on the side of the road leading to the trailhead.