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Explore Animas Forks

Silverton, Colorado

5.0/5
based on 1 reviews

Details

Distance

0.25 miles

Elevation Gain

40 ft

Route Type

Loop

Description

Added by Lucas Bremer

Once a bustling boomtown, today only skeletons remain.

The ghost town of Animas Forks, CO is located in the San Juan Mountains at an elevation of 11,200 feet. There are several original buildings remaining. The best way to explore the region is by Jeep or other high-clearance 4×4.

The cabins began being built by prospectors in 1873. Three rivers meet nearby, one of them being the Animas River, leading to the name Animas Forks.

By 1876, Animas Forks was a bustling mining community. At that time the town had 30 cabins, a hotel, a saloon, a post office, and a general store. Roughly 450 people occupied Animas Forks in 1883. As with most other areas of the San Juan Mountain region, mining, speculation and processing mills spurred Animas Forks’ growth. By the early 1900's, most of the mining had stopped in the area. Animas Forks was a ghost town by the 1920s.

Today Animas Forks is preserved and maintained by the Bureau of Land Management and is located on a system of unpaved roads known as the Alpine Loop. The dirt road from Silverton to Animas Forks is only passable in summer by two-wheel drive vehicles. The road beyond Animas Forks is four-wheel drive only. It takes you over Engineer Pass to Lake City.

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Features

Chillin
Camping
Photography
Hiking
Bathrooms
Easy Parking
Family Friendly
Groups
River
Scenic
Wildflowers
Wildlife

Explore Animas Forks Reviews

Cool ghost town at the main hub of many 4WD trails. You can walk into a lot of the buildings. There is parking there. From Silverton, the road to the ghost town is not bad, but be weary on the other trails if you are new to off road driving!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Drive Cinnamon Pass

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Drive to California Pass

Drive Engineer Pass

Explore Hurricane Pass and Lake Como

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