Alpine Loop Back Country Byway
# Alpine Loop Back Country Byway

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 |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | FH 14 | |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | SH 149 south | Becomes FH 30 west |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | FH 33 | |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | FH 33 | |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | Camp Redcloud | |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | Castle Lakes Campground | |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | FH 36 | |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | FH 35 | |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | FH 12 | |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | FH 5 west | Becomes FH 5 west |
| San Juan | ​ | | | FH 2 south | Becomes FH 2 north |
| San Juan | ​ | | | FH 18 | |
| San Juan | ​ | | | FH 17 | |
| San Juan | ​ | | | FH 2 west | Becomes an unmarked road |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | FH 21 south | Becomes FH 21 north |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | FH 21 north | Becomes FH 20X east |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | FH 20 west | Becomes FH 20 east |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | FH 24 | |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | FH 23 | |
| Hinsdale | ​ | | | 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
