Colorado
Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway
About this off-road route
The Alpine Loop is the friendliest of the San Juan high-country routes, which is why it is usually the first one a visiting driver does. From Silverton the road climbs the Animas valley past a string of mine sites to Animas Forks, one of the best-preserved ghost towns in Colorado, then crosses Engineer Pass at 12,800 feet and drops into Lake City. The first stretch to Animas Forks is graded well enough for a stock high-clearance SUV. Above it, the road narrows and the pass itself demands 4WD and clearance.
Silverton to Lake City over Engineer Pass, past the Animas Forks ghost town and a chain of old mining camps.
Highlights
What earns the trip
- Animas Forks, where several original buildings still stand at 11,200 feet
- Engineer Pass tops out around 12,800 feet with views across the San Juans
- A byway, not a rock crawl, so it suits a capable stock rig
- Connects two mountain towns with very different characters
Stops
- 1
Silverton
Southern trailhead town and the last full services before the pass.
- 2
Animas Forks ghost town
Preserved 1870s mining settlement at 11,200 feet.
- 3
Engineer Pass
The high point of the loop, above treeline.
- 4
Lake City
Northern end of the byway, back on pavement.
When to go
Best time to go
Late June through September. The passes stay gated by snow well into early summer.
Planner estimate for the mapped line: 2h 24m
Before you go
Know before you go
- The Silverton to Animas Forks section is much easier than the pass. Do not judge the whole route by the first few miles.
- Stay out of mine structures and off private claims. Much of the old workings are unstable and privately held.
- Cell coverage is effectively nil between the two towns.
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