We rented a side-by-side ATV in Silverton, Colorado and drove the Alpine Loop through the San Juan Mountains. It was stunningly beautiful.
Read on for details about our experience. We provide details on the town of Silverton, renting an ATV, and driving the Alpine Loop.
We also camped at an RV park in downtown Silverton. (See our review of the Red Mountain Motel & RV Park.)
- Silverton, Colorado
- ATVs in Silverton
- The Alpine Loop Back Country Byway
- Alpine Loop from Silverton
- Animas Forks Ghost Town on the Alpine Loop
- Camping Near Animas Forks on the Alpine Loop
- Cinnamon Pass on the Alpine Loop
- American Basin on the Alpine Loop
- Lake City
- Ute-Ulay Mine
- Whitmore Falls on the Alpine Loop
- Cabin for Sale along the Alpine Loop
- Engineer Pass on Alpine Loop
- Maggie Gulch
- Summary of the Alpine Loop Journey
Silverton, Colorado
Silverton, Colorado, located in the heart of the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado, is a picturesque town that boasts a rich history and breathtaking natural beauty.
Once a mining town during the silver boom of the late 19th century, Silverton has transformed into a haven for adventurers and history lovers alike.
Its well-preserved Victorian-era architecture, including the iconic Grand Imperial Hotel, offers a glimpse into its storied past.
Not surprisingly, the town of Silverton is a National Historic Landmark, with a colorful history and beautiful architecture.
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a historic steam-powered train, provides a scenic journey between Silverton and Durango, offering panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.
Silverton’s blend of historical charm and natural wonders makes it a unique destination in the American Southwest.
Blair Street in Silverton
Blair Street in Silverton, Colorado, holds a notorious place in the town’s colorful history, primarily known for its rowdy and somewhat lawless character during the mining boom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This area was the town’s red-light district, where miners, seeking to unwind after long hours in the mines, frequented saloons, gambling halls, and brothels.
It formerly had 32 saloons, gambling halls, and houses of ill-repute where ladies of the night entertained clients.
The street was home to a lively, albeit often unruly, nightlife that contrasted sharply with the more family-oriented businesses found on Silverton’s main thoroughfare, Greene Street.
Over the years, Blair Street has evolved, with many of its historic buildings now housing shops, restaurants, and museums that pay homage to Silverton’s rich and diverse past.
Several of the restaurants play up this history in their current operations.
Tesla Charging Station in Silverton
If you happen to come into town with your Tesla, there’s even a Tesla charging station for your electric vehicle in Silverton.
ATVs in Silverton
An ATV, or All-Terrain Vehicle, is a type of vehicle designed for off-road use.
Similar vehicles include UTVs (Utility Task Vehicles or Side-by-Sides), and dirt bikes.
ATVs are built to handle rugged terrain and are commonly used for recreation, including trail riding, exploring, and accessing remote areas that are not suitable for regular vehicles.
They are equipped with features tailored to off-road conditions, such as high ground clearance, off-road tires, and enhanced suspension systems.
When we visited Silverton to ride the Alpine Loop in 2020, Silverton catered to ATV adventurers.
Back then, Silverton allowed side-by-sides, four-wheelers, etc to drive on the town’s roads. These roads had signage indicating that off-road vehicles are allowed.
In 2020, you would also see lots of off-road vehicles parked along the town’s streets.
Updates to Silverton’s ATV Rules
In October 2021, the citizens of Silverton voted against allowing ATVs or unlicensed dirt bikes within the town limits. This changed how things operate in the town of Silverton with respect to ATVs.
See the most up-to-date details on Silverton’s ATV rules provided by the town.
The website includes the following map as well as additional details.
Where ATVs are Allowed in the Silverton Area
ATVs are still permitted on certain San Juan County Roads surrounding Silverton, following a resolution passed in 2022.
For ATV use on these county roads, registration with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and displaying a visible registration sticker on your vehicle is required.
Colorado does not recognize out-of-state license plates for ATVs as street legal, and there are specific rules regarding where you can park and how you can traverse between different areas around Silverton.
Driving an ATV into the town limits of Silverton can result in a $300 fine or towing, emphasizing the town’s stance on keeping these vehicles out of the town proper for safety and quality of life reasons.
Renting an Off-Road Vehicle in Silverton to Drive the Alpine Loop
You can still rent side-by-sides, Jeeps, and other types of 4×4 vehicles in Silverton.
To make things easier, some businesses also offer guided tours, so you can let someone else do the driving for you.
There are several places in Silverton that rent off-road vehicles to drive into the San Juan mountains, including the Alpine Loop.
For example, see San Juan Backcountry, Loop SXS Adventures, and Rock Pirates Backcountry Adventures.
We rented a side-by-side off-road vehicle from Rock Pirates Backcountry Adventures in 2020. This location was walking distance from the Red Mountain Motel and RV Park in downtown Silverton.
Rentals aren’t cheap… our rate was over $400 for a full-day rental in 2020.
However, we thought it was worth it and had an amazing time driving the Alpine Loop.
The staff at the rental company went through all of details of the vehicle which was easy to drive like a regular car.
You can also bring your own ATV to Silverton and keep it at one of the RV parks and campgrounds.
There were many campers who took this approach, based on there being at least one off-road vehicle per RV in the campground where we stayed.
The Alpine Loop Back Country Byway
The San Juan mountains in the area surrounding Silverton have many off-road trails that are accessible in the summer months.
It is an incredibly popular area for off-roading, and justifiably so as the scenery is outstanding.
One of the most popular is the Alpine Loop, which is a spectacular scenic byway located in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
This off-road trail weaves through the rugged San Juan Mountains, offering breathtaking views of alpine landscapes, wildflower-filled meadows, and pristine mountain streams.
You can obtain a copy of the map presented below for free at several places in Silverton.
Stretching approximately 65 miles and connecting the historic mining towns of Silverton, Ouray, and Lake City, the loop is accessible only during the summer months when the snow has melted.
When we visited in August 2020, there was still snow on the ground on several of these passes, which our dog thoroughly enjoyed.
The route traverses high mountain passes, including Engineer Pass and Cinnamon Pass, both exceeding 12,000 feet in elevation, providing adventurers with unparalleled vistas and challenging driving conditions.
The area is steeped in history, with numerous abandoned mines and ghost towns along the way, providing a glimpse into Colorado’s rich mining heritage.
In addition to the 65-mile Alpine Loop, there are many designated side routes to additional mountain passes and gorgeous scenery.
Alpine Loop from Silverton
The Alpine Loop is maintained for high-clearance vehicles and given the road conditions, is best taken at a leisurely pace. We started the Alpine Loop in Silverton.
It took us all day to complete the loop, with many stops along the way at old mining towns, waterfalls, and more. We also explored a few side routes.
Our route took us from Silverton, to Animas Forks, over Cinnamon Pass, to the American Basin, to Lake City, over Engineer Pass, up Maggie Gulch, and back to Silverton, with other stops along the way.
Animas Forks Ghost Town on the Alpine Loop
One of the first sights you’ll come across is Animas Forks.
It is located about 12 miles northeast of Silverton and will be one of the first ghost towns you encounter on the Alpine Loop.
Founded in 1873, this once-thriving mining community sits at an elevation of over 11,000 feet, making it one of the highest and most remote settlements of its era.
At its peak, Animas Forks boasted a population of several hundred residents, complete with homes, a general store, a saloon, and a post office.
Visitors to Animas Forks can park and explore the remaining structures.
Gustavan Family House
The Gustavan house was built in 1906-1907.
It was originally the home of the Gustavson family in Animas Forks. The family had come from Scandinavia to Animas Forks.
This fancy residence has an “indoor toilet” which was actually just an outhouse with a closed hallway.
The family lived in this house year round during some long winters.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) does a good job of maintaining the Animas Forks town and reminding people to respect its historical significance.
You can get there by a regular passenger car without four wheel drive, but it will be a bumpy road.
We even saw a Porsche parked among the many off-road vehicles at Animas Forks.
The road beyond Animas Forks on the Alpine Loop definitely requires an off-road vehicle with four-wheel drive.
Camping Near Animas Forks on the Alpine Loop
There are a few areas to camp around Animas Forks in either a tent or a small RV that can be driven along a bumpy gravel road.
We saw some tent campers as well as some campers in a VW Westfalia. They had amazing views of the San Juan mountains.
Cinnamon Pass on the Alpine Loop
Cinnamon Pass is the first mountain pass you’ll encounter along this route of the Alpine Loop. It is one of the two major mountain passes along the Alpine Loop (Engineer Pass is the second).
Each of the mountain passes has a sign with the elevation that make excellent photograph opportunities.
At 12,640 feet high in elevation, the scenery of the Colorado Rockies is stunning. We parked our rented ATV and took in the scenery.
American Basin on the Alpine Loop
The American Basin area of the Alpine Loop is a gorgeous high alpine basin at an elevation of 12,365 feet.
From about mid-July to early August, the basin is teaming with wildflowers and is a much photographed area.
Lake City
Lake City makes a great stopping point for lunch. There are many restaurants that cater to travelers along the Alpine Loop.
Along the way you’ll pass historical mining artifacts that you can stop at to view.
Ute-Ulay Mine
The Ute Ulay Mine was a silver and lead mine that began operations in the late 1800s. Several of the mining buildings remain.
Whitmore Falls on the Alpine Loop
This is easy to miss, but Whitmore Falls is a stunning waterfall along the Alpine Route.
It’s a short steep downhill hike to the falls from the road.
If you’re brave, take a dip in the freezing Henson Creek pool at the bottom of the waterfall.
Cabin for Sale along the Alpine Loop
Continuing along the Alpine Loop toward Engineer Pass will take you past this interesting house that happens to be for sale (as of August 2020).
In case you’re in the market for a new house, the contact information for the realtor is in the photo below.
Engineer Pass on Alpine Loop
At 12,800 feet in elevation, Engineer Pass is the highest mountain pass we crossed on the Alpine Loop.
It offers gorgeous views of the alpine tundra, with signs reminding you to be respectful of the fragile tundra environment.
The drives and views in this area are spectacular.
Words can only provide so much detail, so we’ve provided photos to help showcase the beautiful scenery along the Alpine Loop.
The tiny white dots in the middle of the photo below are actually sheep grazing near Engineer Pass.
They have a special permit to graze in this area.
Once you cross Engineer Pass, you head back towards Animas Forks, but are free to explore additional side roads if you have enough time.
Keep an eye out for ice tunnels along the route.
The one in the photo below was one of several we saw along the route.
Maggie Gulch
On our way back to Silverton, we took a detour up Maggie Gulch.
This is a less well-traveled 4×4 road that takes you up the Intersection Mill. We didn’t make it that far, as we had to turn around to get back to Silverton in time to return our side-by-side rental vehicle.
However, we were surprised to come across a woman on a slackline crossing the gulch. (Look closely in the photo below to see a woman on a long slackline across the canyon.)
She was impressive in her abilities! It was a gorgeous setting with a waterfall behind the slackline.
We’re happy to say we watched her make it safely across the slackline.
Summary of the Alpine Loop Journey
We really enjoyed our time camping in Silverton and driving the Alpine Loop.
It is a stunning area of the Rocky Mountains in SW Colorado. To really enjoy it, splurge on a rental to see the Alpine Loop!
