Silverton vs Lake City access to San Juan trails

[wrwtexan]

Looking for opinions on access to the San Juan trails from Lake City. We have stayed in Silverton the last three summers and are planning this year to stay at a lodging between Lake City and Lake Cristobal for a change of scenery and nearly a hundred less miles of road travel. I am looking at trailering my P1K-5 from the cabin up to a trail head at the start of Cinnamon to cut a few miles off. Has anyone stayed on both sides and is the daily commute to Animas worth it? Lake City seems interesting and see some fun things to do. We made the Alpine Loop last year so another question would be: go Engineer or Cinnamon for quicker access in last week of August?

 

[BWAF]

Looking for opinions on access to the San Juan trails from Lake City. We have stayed in Silverton the last three summers and are planning this year to stay at a lodging between Lake City and Lake Cristobal for a change of scenery and nearly a hundred less miles of road travel. I am looking at trailering my P1K-5 from the cabin up to a trail head at the start of Cinnamon to cut a few miles off. Has anyone stayed on both sides and is the daily commute to Animas worth it? Lake City seems interesting and see some fun things to do. We made the Alpine Loop last year so another question would be: go Engineer or Cinnamon for quicker access in last week of August?

Alpine loop was it good,it my on list

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[wrwtexan]

Looking down on Lake Como from California Pass.

 

[wrwtexan]

Engineer Pass

 

[wrwtexan]

No place else I've ever been can compare to the scenery in the San Juans. If your afraid of heights as I am, some of the trails can be a bit intimidating but we have driven nearly a thousand miles one way for the last 3 summers and again this year to ride this area. Once you go here, all other trails like Wolf Pen Arkansas will be a kiddie park.

 

[Tramguage1]

No place else I've ever been can compare to the scenery in the San Juans. If your afraid of heights as I am, some of the trails can be a bit intimidating but we have driven nearly a thousand miles one way for the last 3 summers and again this year to ride this area. Once you go here, all other trails like Wolf Pen Arkansas will be a kiddie park.

There is a group of of doing Colorado in early Sept. I would be very interested is getting some info on the LakeCity area.Come join us!

 

[Tramguage1]

Calendar - **2019** Taylor Lake Colorado Group Ride [Sep 6, 2019] (CO)

 

[wrwtexan]

What videos I've watched of Taylor Park, I think the San Juans offer better trails and views without the rough roads. We went to Tincup last year after leaving Silverton and it wasn't nearly as pretty. The reason I was given was the San Juan area is from volcanic activity much younger than the Rockies and hasn't has the millons of year to weather and has much more striking topography and resulting scenery.
As a junior member of the site I can't say much but I would love to see a San Juan takeover end of August/ first of September to miss the midsummer rains and beat the early winter. We left 9/27 last year and within 2 weeks they had a major snow storm.

 

[ByronM]

Last year (I doubt it changed) you could ride directly from Lake City to the Alpine Loop and over to Silverton but you could not ride into Ouray. Lake City area would be a great base for riding the Alpine Loop.

 

[wrwtexan]

Last year (I doubt it changed) you could ride directly from Lake City to the Alpine Loop and over to Silverton but you could not ride into Ouray. Lake City area would be a great base for riding the Alpine Loop.

We are going to book a cabin south of town on to ride out of, but may trailer several miles up Cinnamon.

Lake City does allow OHV passthrough (there was/is a referendum on it this year) so unlicensed vehicles can make the Alpine Loop. Ouray is well north of any trails and couldn't be accessed without highway travel. There are several good trails out of there though. Yankee Boy Basin, Imogene (tried in rain in '18 and turned back) and several side trails.

If Silverton or Lake City ever rescind in town OHV passage, it would kill most summer commerce as that is a big income driver for both towns. I hope the purists there realize that fact as there are many of us from out of state spending lots of money to come ride the trails that wouldn't be accessible if not for the internal combustion engine! Its 36 miles from Lake City to Silverton, care to hike that with a family of 6?

 

[TimG]

We are going to book a cabin south of town on to ride out of, but may trailer several miles up Cinnamon.

Lake City does allow OHV passthrough (there was/is a referendum on it this year) so unlicensed vehicles can make the Alpine Loop. Ouray is well north of any trails and couldn't be accessed without highway travel. There are several good trails out of there though. Yankee Boy Basin, Imogene (tried in rain in '18 and turned back) and several side trails.

If Silverton or Lake City ever rescind in town OHV passage, it would kill most summer commerce as that is a big income driver for both towns. I hope the purists there realize that fact as there are many of us from out of state spending lots of money to come ride the trails that wouldn't be accessible if not for the internal combustion engine! Its 36 miles from Lake City to Silverton, care to hike that with a family of 6?

The wife and I have a cabin on San Cristobal lake on the Alpine Loop Sept. 2,3 & 4 this year. We will be exploring the trails from there. Then on to Taylor Park.

 

[Tramguage1]

The wife and I have a cabin on San Cristobal lake on the Alpine Loop Sept. 2,3 & 4 this year. We will be exploring the trails from there. Then on to Taylor Park.

I'm talking with an RV park near there. If I can get all of us in there, we I'll be close

 

[Tramguage1]

I have 4 spots reserved near Lake City,Co.at Highlander RV park, in on the 3rd and out on the 5th.

 

[wrwtexan]

We are going to be there 8/26-30 likely down by Lake Fork south of Lake City. Wife just made out reservations.

 

[Dgardner]

Check ahead this summer before going to the Silverton / Lake City area. Due to the more then average snow fall, including 2 feet last week above 8k feet, many trails are still closed and unpassable.

 

[steeebo]

This is a photo of Lake Como taken form California Pass, June 28 2019, Silverton Colorado

 

[wrwtexan]

WOW!
Out countdown is 56 days from 6-29. Is the high country likely to be clear by then? I'd like to see some snow but will the trails (Engineer, Cinnamon) even be passable in that short time?
That is still amazing. I'm sweating my #@@ off here in North East Texas and they still have deep snow.

 

[Durangotang]

WOW!
Out countdown is 56 days from 6-29. Is the high country likely to be clear by then? I'd like to see some snow but will the trails (Engineer, Cinnamon) even be passable in that short time?
That is still amazing. I'm sweating my #@@ off here in North East Texas and they still have deep snow.

Engineer & Cinnamon are both open. Only major route still closed is CR 2 from Animas Forks down to Silverton. Check out my post from a ride I took up there on Friday (7/19/19). Summer 2019 in the San Juan Mountains

 

[Alan aka Davinci]

We are going to book a cabin south of town on to ride out of, but may trailer several miles up Cinnamon.

Lake City does allow OHV passthrough (there was/is a referendum on it this year) so unlicensed vehicles can make the Alpine Loop. Ouray is well north of any trails and couldn't be accessed without highway travel. There are several good trails out of there though. Yankee Boy Basin, Imogene (tried in rain in '18 and turned back) and several side trails.

If Silverton or Lake City ever rescind in town OHV passage, it would kill most summer commerce as that is a big income driver for both towns. I hope the purists there realize that fact as there are many of us from out of state spending lots of money to come ride the trails that wouldn't be accessible if not for the internal combustion engine! Its 36 miles from Lake City to Silverton, care to hike that with a family of 6?

Those purists you refer to that don't want OHV on the streets are not full time residents, they live mostly in other states but own homes in Lake City and Silverton so legally they can vote on issues like this but all they want is the town to themselves and don't care about the local making a living.

 

[Koda]

Engineer & Cinnamon are both open. Only major route still closed is CR 2 from Animas Forks down to Silverton. Check out my post from a ride I took up there on Friday (7/19/19). Summer 2019 in the San Juan Mountains

How long do they anticipate CR 2 being closed.


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