“USA 🇺🇸 ~Colorado Alta Lakes and Ghost Town Plus Driving the Scenic San Juan Skyway”

• August 31, 2022
• By Pen
• 0 Comment

With just under a week left of our stay in Montrose, before we move on to our next stop of Durango, we are wrapping it up on exploring areas of interest to us; within a days drive from our current stop.
We are looking forward to new adventures around our next stop!

UPDATE: With my new lens in hand (Nikon 18-300mm) which arrived the day before, to replace the damaged new one, I was very excited to put both “new to me” camera; Nikon D7200 (only 400 clicks), and lens to the test!
While still tweaking on some custom settings, I am thrilled to say, I’m all set! Yay!
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On this outing, we attempted another questionable, off-road location, and hoped we could make our destination.
I’m here to tell you, you DO NOT need a 4×4 to get to Alta Lakes, though internet searching on the web would indicate so.
What we have is an AWD vehicle with no extra clearance and we did just fine. Mr Terrific goes the appropriate speed in the questionable bad spots and did a great job for us. As a result, we got to visit another old mining/ghost town called Alta.

There does not appear to be any restoration work going on at this historic location, though some planning for such is on record.
I venture to guess, though, by the looks of a few remaining building, those too will be gone after another winter or two, if something isn’t done, soon.

That being said, the nearby Alta Lakes, just a short reach beyond the old mining town, will remain for eons!
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Alta Ghost Town ⬇️
is found between Telluride and Rico. Alta is a tiny ghost town with a few original buildings, still standing.

Alta (Spanish for “high”) was a company town for the Gold King Mine.
Pat Cullen, Frank Dimik and Thomas Knott discovered the Alta vein in Gold King Basin in 1877, and Jack Mann hit the Gold King the next year.
The Alta Mine was a gold mine located at an elevation of 11,086 feet, and with this historic past, there once was a general store, an assay office, a school, miners’ homes, and company offices. The town also became the upper terminus for a tram that extended almost two miles and dropped more than eighteen hundred feet to Ophir Loop, where a loading bin was located near the Rio Grande Southern depot. (Ophir Loop is located 1.8 miles south of the turnoff to Alta on Colorado Highway 145). If we make an effort to go there, too, I will add it to this blog. So far directions are confusing as it can be reached a couple ways; one being an alpine hike.
The Alta-area mines produced under the ownership of the Silver Mountain Mining Company.
In 1948, a fire began in a snow shed between the Black Hawk tunnel and the mill, soon engulfing the entire mine complex. Three miners, trapped by a collapsed tunnel, made their way to safety through an abandoned portal. At this point, Alta’s mining days were over, but not before the mines produced more than $5 million in ore.

We finally found a place to park…just joking, as we were the only visitors. Next to us were wooden fences, marked with “no trespassing” signs. A bit confusing since there was a marked trail sign, too. Could we enter or not enter? Not one to ponder too long with this kind of quandary, I happily entered and gave myself a tour of the grounds. I did not enter either building though, as perhaps the no trespassing signs were meant for the structures themselves; to protect a roofless log building that had once served as a mine office and company store, as well as an impressive two-story boardinghouse.

⬆️⬇️ To the west, great views from this old town; Lizard Head Peak, Wilson Peak, and Sunshine Mountain

⬆️ Built in 1939, Alta’s two-story boardinghouse comprises of materials salvaged from the St. Louis mine’s boardinghouse. It stands as one of Colorado’s last extant major mining camp boardinghouses.

⬆️ The old mine office and company store

⬆️ From a distance, this building looked to be restored, to a certain degree. We didn’t see anybody around, but avoided hiking up to that location, just in case it was occupied.

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Alta Lakes ⬇️

Alta Lakes Recreation Area is a popular, dispersed location, which offers fishing and camping in a spectacular alpine setting.
There are 20 designated campsites that are completely undeveloped. You will read elsewhere, The access road to the area is narrow and rough, requiring a high clearance vehicle; (Not true for the high clearance vehicle part) …and trailers and RV’s are not recommended; (This part is true-keep to dry camp tent camping, here).
Travel approximately five miles south of Telluride, on State Highway 145. Turn east on Forest Road #632 (Alta Road) and climb about 4.3 miles, passing the Alta (ghost town) townsite.
Camping is allowed only in designated campsites. No fees; first come-first serve.
Closed during winter months.

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The Scenic Off-Road Drive to get to the Alta Ghost Town and Alta Lakes ⬇️

SO WORTH IT!

The challenging road makes this a less popular choice, but also making it a far-less crowded option!

⬆️ Me: “Slow down please, so I can get a picture of this sign”

Daryl: “What sign?”
😂😂😂

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Scenic ~Along the San Juan Skyway ⬇️

⬆️ We did not drive into Telluride on this day, but the town is just behind that hill. Our destination had us turning off Hwy 550, instead of going through the town.
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