Animas Forks

Rating: 5/10

Related Links
Animas Forks, Silverton Website

Head south out of Ouray on highway 550 for four miles. Turn off left on the Engineer Pass road. In just over 2 miles you'll find the Poughkeepsie Gulch road. Stay left and drive past it for another 2.5 miles where you will find the turn off to Mineral Point (see the map below). Pass this, staying left again, and follow the Engineer Pass sign. After almost 2 miles there will be a "T" in the road. Go right and in about 2.5 miles you'll find Animas Forks. This will be the first leg of the 2002 FSJ Invasion's "Mini Alpine Loop" organized trail run. The next leg will be California Gulch, then Corkscrew Gulch. Likewise, this is also the first leg of the two-leg organized trail run over Picayne and Placer Gulch for the 2002 FSJ Invasion.

You can head south from Animas Forks, downhill into Silverton and then return to Ouray on highway 550 heading north.

Animas Forks is located near the treeline at 11,584 feet at the forks of the Animas river, hence it's name. Founded in 1877, the town was originally a campsight for--you guessed it--miners. Its population later grew to nearly 1500 people and along with a hotel and several other buildings, a telephone line was run in during the 1880's. The decline of this roaring town began a decade later and it was abandoned in the 1920's.

The trail rating comes from some tight, steep switchbacks and rocky sections you'll encounter along the way.

Animas Forks, Photo by Packrat