The Alpine Loop Back Country Byway is a rugged Back Country Byway and

Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways are highway and backroad routes in the U.S. state of Colorado designated by the Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Commission for their scenic and historic values. These byways follow existing roads or highwa ...

located in the high

San Juan Mountains The San Juan Mountains is a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico. The area is highly mineralized (the Colorado Mineral Belt) and figured in the gold and silver mining industry ...

of Hindale, Ouray, and San Juan counties, Colorado, USA. The byway connects the mountain towns of Lake City, Ouray, and Silverton. The route ranges in elevation from (a mere) in Ouray to at Engineer Pass. The byway features high mountain passes, alpine tundra, beautiful mountain meadows,

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...

s, and relics of the

silver mining Silver mining is the extraction of silver from minerals, starting with mining. Because silver is often found in intimate combination with other metals, its extraction requires elaborate technologies. In 2008, ca.25,900 metric tons were consumed ...

era. While the meadows and tundra are accessible to ordinary passenger vehicles, a high-clearance 4-wheel drive vehicle is required to travel the entire route. The Silverton Historic District and the Shenandoah-Dives (Mayflower) Mill are

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

s. The Alpine Loop connects with the

San Juan Skyway Scenic and Historic Byway The San Juan Skyway Scenic and Historic Byway is a All-American Road, National Forest Scenic Byway, and Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, San Juan, and San Miguel counties, Colorado, U ...

at Ouray and Silverton. __TOC__

Route

The Alpine Loop is generally considered to begin and end at Lake City. From there the route commonly followed is west over Cinnamon Pass or Engineer Pass to Animas Forks, and then returning east back to Lake City. The clockwise circuit starting with Cinnamon Pass generally puts the vehicle on the inside "lane" of the mountainous portions with the driver on the outside, providing a better view of the relative position of the vehicle and the outer edge of the road at the top of the drop-off. The counter-clockwise direction is preferable for less powerful 4-wheel drive vehicles that may have a difficult time ascending steep sections on the western portion of Engineer Pass.

Major intersections

Gallery

File:Engineer pass road, CO.jpg, Along the road to Engineer pass File:Animas Forks shack.jpg, Abandoned building in Animas Forks, on the Alpine Loop File:Capitol City, Colo.jpg, Capitol City ghost town File:California Gulch Rd, Colo.jpg,

California Gulch The California Gulch site consists of approximately 18 square miles in Lake County, Colorado. The area includes the city of Leadville, parts of the Leadville Historic Mining District and a section of the Arkansas River from the confluence of Calif ...

Road, near Animas Forks File:Alpine Loop National Back Country Byway.JPG, Signs at the start of the road in Lake City File:My Public Lands Roadtrip- Wilderness along the Alpine Loop in Colorado (19785510201).jpg,

Colorado blue columbine ''Aquilegia coerulea'', the Colorado blue columbine, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to the Rocky Mountains, USA. ''Aquilegia coerulea'' is the state flower of Colorado. The Latin specific name '' ...

along the Alpine Loop File:Ouray, Colorado.JPG, Ouray File:Hinsdale County Court House.JPG, The Hinsdale County

Court House A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English- ...

in Lake City File:Silverton Stage.JPG, A stagecoach in Silverton

Notes

References

External links

America's Scenic Byways: ColoradoBureau of Land Management Back Country Byways

BLM Alpine Loop websiteColorado Department of Transportation

Colorado Scenic & Historic Byways Commission
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Colorado Scenic & Historic Byways

Colorado Travel MapColorado Tourism OfficeHistory Colorado
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