Alpine Loop & Engineer Pass
Alpine Loop Back Country Byway
A high-mountain backcountry loop connecting Ouray, Silverton and Lake City, crossing 3,900-meter Engineer Pass.
The Alpine Loop is a roughly 105-kilometer National Backcountry Byway with Ouray, Silverton and Lake City at its ends. It crosses Engineer Pass (3,901 meters) and Cinnamon Pass, passing through tundra, snowy peaks, wildflowers and many mining relics. The most popular one-day off-road route runs from Ouray over Engineer Pass to the Animas Forks ghost town and back. The road is rough, and only high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles can manage it. Beginners should book a jeep tour or rent an off-road vehicle and carry a map. Thunderstorms are common in the afternoon at high altitude.
Opening hours
Open all day in summer (roads open seasonally)
Nearby sights
- Animas Forks Ghost Town
- Bear Creek Falls
- Million Dollar Highway
- Ouray Perimeter Trail
- Ouray Ice Park
- Cascade Falls
- Wiesbaden Hot Springs
- Ouray County Museum