Well-preserved historic mining settlement featuring abandoned wooden structures, high-alpine scenery, and access to rugged backcountry roads and trails.
General Information
Best access typically late spring through fall
Four-wheel-drive vehicle recommended for access
Ouray (50 mi)
Durango (50 mi)
How to Get There
From Silverton (12 mi): Take County Road 2 north (Animas Forks Road) from Silverton and follow the unpaved route into the historic site, using a high-clearance vehicle for easier access.
Overview
Animas Forks is a well-preserved ghost town 12 miles northeast of Silverton at 11,200 feet, on the Alpine Loop, managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It began with a log cabin in 1873 and by 1876 was a mining boomtown with 30 cabins, a hotel, and a general store, and it declined as mining profits fell, despite a short revival in 1904 with the Gold Prince Mill. Walk among the cabins, a hotel, and the Duncan House. The road from Silverton is passable in summer by two-wheel drive, but the pass beyond, over Engineer Pass to Lake City, is for 4WD.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Animas Forks, Colorado", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
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