Colorado Haunts

Norwegian Proverb

Do not look to the ground for your next step; greatness lies with those who look to the horizon.

Alpine Loop Back Country Byway

Length: 63 miles.
Driving time: 4-6 hours.
Features:
7 ghost towns
2 high alpine passes

The Alpine Loop leaves pavement and people behind, crossing the remote, rugged, spectacular heart of the San Juan Mountains. It's demanding - the two 12,000-foot passes (Cinnamon and Engineer) require a high-clearance 4-wheel-drive vehicle - but the well-prepared motorist reaps unparalleled rewards: pristine mountain views, hiking and biking trails, great camping opportunities, and ample solitude. These rocky roads were first used by 19th-century miners, who carted their ore off to Silverton, Ouray, and Lake City in mule-drawn wagons. Spend an afternoon exploring abandoned townsites, structures, and other former mining haunts - if you want to commune with ghosts of Colorado's rich past.

The Alpine Loop information brochure is available on-line here for free. It traverses land managed predominantly by the BLM between the gateway communities of Lake City, Silverton and Ouray. (Click on image to enlarge). Here is a interactive link to the area and a link to the Alpine Loop Interim Byway Management Plan

What to See & Do:

In addition to the outstanding scenery, visitors can enjoy a wide array of other outdoor recreation activities. The rivers, streams, and lakes attract fishermen in search of rainbow, brook, and cutthroat trout. Hikers will enjoy the many trails that can be accessed from the Alpine Loop including routes up five peaks over 14,000 feet.

History buffs will want to explore the many structures, mines, and ghost towns left over from the late 1800s. Photographers will especially appreciate the abundance of colorful alpine wildflowers in late July/early August and the explosion of fall colors during September. Vehicle recreationists can spend weeks exploring the many designated roads that lead off the main route.

More and more mountain bikers are enjoying the Alpine Loop for challenging single and multi-day rides. Winter sports enthusiasts can find ample area to snowmobile or ski on the 80 miles of groomed trails near Lake City. Whether you have a day, a week, or a month, you won’t run out of things to doing this area.

Virtual Tours:

Here's a video fly-through along the Alpine Loop - courtesy of Spike Productions and Computer Terrain Mapping. Significant development on patented mining claims could substantially change the visitor experience along the Alpine Loop.

From Silverton, proceed up Cement Creek past Gladstone, then up and over Corkscrew Pass.

Ridgway Trails Group

Ridgway Trails is a group of people in Colorado promoting trail development in Ridgway and Ouray County. The Ridgway trails group is responsible for the development of multi-use trail systems in and around Ridgway Colorado. Partnered with COPMOBA our goal is to develop a sustainable trail system that will benefit the residents recreationally and economically of Ridgway and Ouray county

Ridgway Trails Group

Ghost Towns: Boston Mine, CO

Late 19th-century prospectors acted hastily when they set up shop at 12,000 feet to mine a thick vein of mountain-bound gold outside Leadville. The ore’s purity was lousy, and this would-be gold town busted before it boomed. But with rare wildflowers like the blueleaf cinquefoil, and nonstop views of the Tenmile Range, the 5.6-mile round-trip on the Mayflower Gulch Trail delivers the goods before you even reach the first ruin. Follow the well-maintained trail and emerge into the large basin at the foot of Fletcher Mountain and Pacific Peak. A mile from the trailhead, the shambles of mining cabins flank both sides of the trail; defunct tram structures appear at mile two. Take a picture of Fletcher Mountain (13,951 feet) through an empty window, then summit from the south ridge.

The Way:

From Denver, take I-70 west to Copper Mountain, exit 195. Go south on CO 91 for 5.8 miles.

The Mayflower Gulch trailhead is on the left.

This is the historic name, shown on a 1891 map, for a cinnabar mine that was located on patented property south of Clear Creek Mine at N36° 22.516; W120° 43.338 at 3324 feet.

This was part of the Clear Creek Mine.

This is shown as private land on the BLM Coalinga map

Links

Western Mining History

St Elmo Colorado - Haunted Colorado Ghost Town

St. Elmo is a ghost town in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1880, St. Elmo lies in the heart of the Sawatch Range, 20 miles southwest of Buena Vista. Nearly 2,000 people settled in this town when mining for gold and silver became evident. The mining industry started to decline in the early 1920s, and in 1922 the train discontinued service. The community is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as St. Elmo Historic District.

St Elmo is one of the most preserved ghost towns in Colorado with numerous business structures and cabins. It is well worth the trip for a visit. The site is located at 38°42′17″N 106°20′53″W, at an elevation of 10,006 feet (3050 m) in Chaffee County, Colorado