Alpine Loop National Scenic Back Country Byway
Encyclopedia
The Alpine Loop National Back Country Byway is located northeast of Silverton, Colorado
in San Juan
and Hinsdale
Counties. The route is circular, running from the ghost town of Animas Forks to Lake City
and return. The Byway combines crossings of Engineer and Cinnamon Passes with high country scenery that features river meadows, alpine tundra
, and ghost towns.
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 Alpine Loop is generally considered to begin and end at Lake City. From there the route commonly followed is west over Cinnamon Pass to Animas Forks, and then returning east over Engineer Pass back to Lake City. This clockwise circuit generally puts the vehicle on the inside "lane" of the mountainous portions (but moot because almost all is single track) 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.
Silverton, Colorado
The town of Silverton is a Statutory Town that is the county seat of, and the only incorporated municipality in, San Juan County, Colorado, United States. Silverton is a former silver mining camp, most or all of which is now included in a federally designated National Historic Landmark District,...
in San Juan
San Juan County, Colorado
San Juan County is the least populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado in the United States. The county name is the Spanish language name for “Saint John”, the name Spanish explorers gave to a river and the mountain range in the area. The county population was 558 at U.S. Census 2000...
and Hinsdale
Hinsdale County, Colorado
Hinsdale County is the least densely populated of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 790 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat and the only municipality in the county is the Town of Lake City. Hinsdale County is named for George A. Hinsdale, a...
Counties. The route is circular, running from the ghost town of Animas Forks to Lake City
Lake City, Colorado
The Town of Lake City is a Statutory Town that is the county seat of, and the only incorporated municipality in, Hinsdale County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 375 at the U.S. Census 2000...
and return. The Byway combines crossings of Engineer and Cinnamon Passes with high country scenery that features river meadows, alpine tundra
Alpine tundra
Alpine tundra is a natural region that does not contain trees because it is at high altitude. Alpine tundra is distinguished from arctic tundra, because alpine soils are generally better drained than arctic soils...
, and ghost towns.
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 Alpine Loop is generally considered to begin and end at Lake City. From there the route commonly followed is west over Cinnamon Pass to Animas Forks, and then returning east over Engineer Pass back to Lake City. This clockwise circuit generally puts the vehicle on the inside "lane" of the mountainous portions (but moot because almost all is single track) 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.