Tired of traffic in Rocky Mountain National Park?

Want unparalleled views and access to America’s most majestic mountain range?

Bored by the basic safety precautions and road maintenance the other mountain passes in Colorado offer?

Then Colorado’s Alpine Loop is for you! (But not your Subaru.)  

What is the Alpine Loop?

The Alpine Loop is a network of old mining roads connecting the Colorado towns of Lake City, Silverton, and Ouray. It’s 60+ miles of dirt, rock, and steep drop offs, cutting straight through the tundra and heart of the San Juan Mountains.

The Alpine Loop summits two mountain passes, Cinnamon Pass and Engineer Pass, and only about 4 miles of the road is paved (through the town of Lake City). It tops out at 12,800 ft on Engineer Pass, and much of the road is above tree line.

To drive this road, you need a high clearance 4WD vehicle (like a Jeep or Toyota 4Runner) or off-road vehicle (ATV/OHV). Most importantly, you need to know how to traverse rough roads in a steep, rugged mountain landscape. Vehicles roll over and fall off the road in accidents pretty much every year on the Alpine Loop. Some accidents are fatal.

Still, around 100,000 people traverse the Alpine Loop every year. It’s one of the most famous off-highway routes in the U.S., and for good reason! It’s a designated Scenic Backcountry Byway, mostly operated by the Bureau of Land Management, bordering several National Forests and wilderness areas.

How difficult and dangerous is the Alpine Loop, really?

To drive the Alpine Loop, you need two things: clearance and confidence. The Alpine Loop is pretty moderate as far as 4WD trails go, and I’ve personally done it without 4WD, but would not recommend that for most people.

2WD cars and cars with low clearance can safely make it to: 

• Capitol City on the Engineer Pass side
• American Basin (before the river) on the Cinnamon Pass side from Lake City
• Animas Forks ghost town from Silverton

These are still pretty rough drives, but with a little care you can manage without 4WD. If you’re starting in Ouray, however, you need proper 4WD.

The stretch from Ouray to Engineer Pass (Ouray CR 18) is considered the roughest part of the road and is not driven by most of the people doing the loop, as it can be skipped by starting in Lake City or Silverton.

The traditional and “easiest” way to drive the Alpine Loop is clockwise from Lake City or Silverton. Doing this will ensure you climb the Engineer Pass switchbacks (the hardest/roughest part) rather than going down them and being on the outside of the road with steep drop offs.

There’s no wrong way, but there’s also no easy way. It’s rough, and your tires will at times be inches from the edge of a 300ft+ drop no matter which direction you go.

The road is one lane but it is NOT one way, so expect to back up and/or wait for people to pass you many times on your journey. Uphill traffic has the right of way, but use common sense. Go slow, and if there’s a convenient pullout when you see a car coming, use it, even if you technically have the right of way. Just blink your lights or wave the other car up.

When driving the Alpine Loop, the key is to make everyone’s life less stressful whenever you can. See a group of 10 coming in a tight spot? Just pull over and enjoy the extra mountain time. In a group of 10 and going through a tight spot? Have your group let the oncoming vehicles know who’s behind you with hand signals (i.e. 2 fingers for two more cars, and a fist for the final car). It’s the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway, not the Alpine Loop Raceway.

Be considerate and help others on the road, too. If you see someone who needs help, help! This isn’t the highway, and the next help may be far away. If you drive roads like this enough, you’ll need help someday yourself, so build some good karma by helping others when you can.

Now that I’ve done my best to scare off all the half-hearted adventurers, here’s when and why to drive the Alpine Loop.

When does the Alpine Loop open in 2021?

The road usually opens by Memorial Day and closes by November, exact dates depending on snow. (Check the San Juan National Forest website for status updates)

While usually open from late May to November, the Loop can be made impassable any month of the year by heavy rain, landslides, or snow. Any time it snows, it may take the local counties several days to clear it, if they bother at all. (If an early snow happens in October, for example, they probably won’t bother plowing until the following May.) The road is highly weather-dependent, so it’s up to you to know the latest conditions.

The Alpine Loop sees the most traffic in July, which is also the prettiest time to drive it: bright green tundra, wildlife, and generally mild weather. Wildflowers will be everywhere, and so will people!

My favorite time is May and October, but I’m selfish and don’t like to share the mountains! You can easily pass 100+ cars in July, but in May I camped up there, and only saw one other car. (It was also 20 degrees, so pick which suits you.)

The road is about 65 miles, but you won’t be going more than 15 miles per hour on most of it. (The speed limit is 15mph and you’ll be surprised how rarely you even hit that, unless you’re being reckless.) As the loop becomes more popular, the counties have allocated new funding for Alpine Rangers and sheriffs to patrol the loop, so you’re also likely to get caught. Take it slow and enjoy the scenery. If you want to braap, go fast, go mudding, or off-road, go elsewhere.

Expect the trip to take a minimum of 6 hours round-trip. Start early in the day, and plan for midday summer thunderstorms and crowds to slow you down. The road is most trafficked from about 10-4pm.

So you’ve made the decision to drive the Alpine Loop? Here’s where to stop and what you’ll see.

Let’s start in Lake City and go clockwise.

First up is Lake San Cristobal, Colorado’s second largest lake. Fishing, kayaking, and swimming are all popular activities here. Now we leave the pavement behind! 

At about 8 miles in, you’ll see an overlook for the first ghost town, Sherman. This is a good place to stop, look at scenery, and mentally prepare yourself for the first shelf road of the day. The road winds its way along the rock face with steep dropoffs in the next few miles. Be on the lookout for mining relics and bighorn sheep.

After this, the road enters a valley, Burroughs Park, where you will find the Silver Creek and Grizzly Gulch trailheads for Handies Peak, Redcloud Peak. and Sunshine Peak, all gorgeous Colorado 14ers. The next few miles of the road are filled with mountain views, mining history, and avalanche debris. Be sure to look behind you for views of Redcloud and Sundog Peaks.

American Basin is the next stop. This is the most beautiful basin in Colorado in my opinion, and one of the best wildflower spots there is. Treat it with respect! I can’t stress this enough. Don’t drive or park off road for any reason, don’t pick flowers, and don’t pitch your tent on fragile alpine meadows. Minimize your impact on the environment. The tundra is fragile and will suffer permanently if treated poorly.

The trail to Handies Peak (some say the easiest 14er) begins from here, and you’ll pass Sloan Lake, a popular destination in itself, on the hike up.

If Handies Peak isn’t your final destination, flip that 4WD switch and let the fun/terror begin. Now, we begin to climb Cinnamon Pass. Old mine shafts like the Tobasco mine will greet you as you gain elevation and leave the trees behind. Look into the valley on your left to see the old tramway posts that ran ore from the mine to the mill.

At 12,600 ft, you’ll arrive at the summit of the pass.

In the next few miles, you’ll lose all that elevation you just gained and learn the joys of 4WD low as you crawl down to Animas Forks.

Animas Forks is one of the best-preserved ghost towns in the United States. The town arose in the mining frenzy of the late 1800s, and was abandoned when the silver market crashed in the 1890s.

Life was rough here at 11,000 ft: in the 1880s, there was a 23-day blizzard that dumped 25 feet of snow, forcing the residents to dig tunnels between houses. In 2019 there were avalanches closing the road until July with over 100 feet of snow on the road.

After Animas Forks, you have a decision to make. It’s 12 miles into Silverton: do you go get a funnel cake from the Rocky Mountain Funnel Cake Factory or do you continue on to Engineer Pass?

I say get that funnel cake and gather your composure, because here comes the hardest part of the drive. The switchbacks as you climb Engineer Pass are rough, the dropoffs are unforgiving, and the views unforgettable.

At the top, you’ll see Oh Point/Odom Point. No one knows or cares what its true name is, but it’s one of the best views of the San Juans you can drive to.

The actual summit of the pass is a quarter mile further. American Flats is the next expanse of tundra you’ll pass through, as the 14ers Uncompahgre Peak and Wetterhorn Peak tower above you.

You’re on the downhill stretch now, and it’s about 20 miles of rocky road back to where you started. You’ll see the Empire Chief mine, destroyed by avalanche in 2008, followed by Whitmore Falls: the best waterfall on the drive, and a great place for a swim.

The ghost town of Capitol City is next, with the post office all that remains. You can access Wetterhorn Peak from here.

Have you noticed? The road just got a whole lot better. You’ll pass Nellie Creek (another rough, beautiful road leading to Uncompahgre Peak) just before coming into the ghost town of Henson, home to the abandoned Ute Ulay mine. There’s an exterior walking tour and several historical signs explaining the history of the mine that made Lake City. (If you want to venture into a mine itself, visit either the Hard Tack Mine in Henson or Old Hundred Mine in Silverton.)

You’ll end your journey in Lake City, 4 more miles down the road. Celebratory ice cream is in order! Visit the San Juan Soda Company for your sugar fix. If you need something stronger, you’ll see Lake City Brewing Company as soon as you enter town.

Where to Stay Near the Alpine Loop

Lodging for the Alpine Loop is available in Silverton, Ouray, and Lake City. All three towns have several small hotels, and all of them book well in advance during peak tourist season (July). If you didn’t snag a room ahead of time or just want to enjoy the scenery, camping is the way to go.

Camping Near the Alpine Loop

There are 2 official BLM campgrounds on the Alpine Loop: Mill Creek and Williams Creek. There are also many private campgrounds for RVs in Lake City and Silverton with direct access to the Alpine Loop. Personally, I’d recommend Hinsdale County’s Wupperman campground for the excellent views of Lake San Cristobal.

Dispersed camping spots are also numerous near the Alpine Loop, but don’t you dare drive off-road to get to them. Keep those wheels on the road and treat the land with respect.

What to Pack for the Alpine Loop

So you’re ready to hit the road? Here’s what to bring along! You should pack like you’re going for a multi-day hiking or camping trip, even if you don’t plan to do either. If weather or road conditions get you stuck, you’ll be glad you did.

• at least two days of food and water
• warm sleeping bag rated for winter weather
• rain gear
• an extra set of warm, dry clothes
• a paper map: National Geographic Trails Illustrated #139 Lake City/Silverton/Ouray
• a downloaded map, e.g. Gaia GPS or Avenza
• a spare tire/air compressor
• a satellite messenger like a Garmin InReach, since there’s no cell service on the Alpine Loop
• a camera (or, you can just stop by my photography gallery at 130 Gunnison Ave in Lake City!)
• a good attitude

While it’s unlikely you’ll have to spend an unplanned night out in the mountains, it’s very possible. In the past two years, Cinnamon Pass has washed out several times, cutting off the road from the towns and stranding people in the backcountry overnight. You could also get a flat or break down at any point, putting you at the mercy of whoever passes by to help. You may not see anyone for hours, especially if it’s late in the day, so you need to be self-reliant.

Get out there, go slow, drive with care, and enjoy the mountains! 

This blog post was written by Michael Underwood, a landscape and wildlife photographer with a gallery in Lake City, Colorado. If you like what you see on your trip to the San Juans, stop by his gallery and take the mountains you love home with you!

Instagram @michaelunderwood www.michaelunderwoodphotography.com