Alpine Loop Back Country Byway

Alpine Loop Back Country Byway
Route information
Maintained by CDOT
Length	63 mi (101 km)
Existed	1989–present
Major junctions
West end	US 550 at Ouray or Silverton
East end	SH 149 Lake City
Location
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Counties	Hindale, Ouray, and San Juan
Highway system
Scenic Byways National National Forest BLM NPS Colorado State Highway System Interstate US State Scenic

Wilderness near the Alpine Loop. (Wildhorse Peak on the left)

The Alpine Loop Back Country Byway is a rugged 63-mile (101 km) Back Country Byway and Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in the high San Juan Mountains 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) 7,792 feet (2,375 m) in Ouray to 12,800 feet (3,901 m) at Engineer Pass. The byway features high mountain passes, alpine tundra, beautiful mountain meadows, ghost towns, and relics of the silver mining 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 Landmarks. The Alpine Loop connects with the San Juan Skyway Scenic and Historic Byway at Ouray and Silverton.

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

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Hinsdale	Lake City	0.00	0.00	SH 149 north	Zero milepost
	​			FH 14
	​			SH 149 south	Becomes FH 30 west
	​			FH 33
	​			FH 33
	​			Camp Redcloud
	​			Castle Lakes Campground
	​			FH 36
	​			FH 35
	​			FH 12
	​			FH 5 west	Becomes FH 5 west
San Juan	​			FH 2 south	Becomes FH 2 north
	​			FH 18
	​			FH 17
	​			FH 2 west	Becomes an unmarked road
Hinsdale	​			FH 21 south	Becomes FH 21 north
	​			FH 21 north	Becomes FH 20X east
	​			FH 20 west	Becomes FH 20 east
	​			FH 24
	​			FH 23
	​			SH 149
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Gallery

• 
  Along the road to Engineer pass
• 
  Abandoned building in Animas Forks, on the Alpine Loop
• 
  Capitol City ghost town
• 
  California Gulch Road, near Animas Forks
• 
  Signs at the start of the road in Lake City
• 
  Colorado blue columbine along the Alpine Loop
• 
  Ouray
• 
  The Hinsdale County Court House in Lake City
• 
  A stagecoach in Silverton

See also

• History Colorado

External links

• America's Scenic Byways: Colorado
• Bureau of Land Management Back Country Byways
  • BLM Alpine Loop website
• Colorado Department of Transportation
  • Colorado Scenic & Historic Byways Commission
    • Colorado Scenic & Historic Byways
  • Colorado Travel Map
• Colorado Tourism Office
• History Colorado