Side-by-sides and ATVs
- Allowed on town and county roads. In town, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. all year. On Hinsdale County roads, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. from June 1 to September 30. (source)
- Highway 149 link. From June 1 to September 30, side-by-sides can ride a 3.26-mile stretch of Highway 149 south of town, from County Road 30 to Ocean Wave Drive. It links the two branches of the Alpine Loop. (source)
- What you need: a current Colorado OHV permit (other states' permits don't count), a driver's license, OHV liability insurance, and a spark arrestor. (source)
- Helmets and belts. Riders under 18 need a DOT-approved helmet, everyone needs eye protection (a windshield counts), and seat belts are required where the maker installed them. (source)
- Stay on designated roads and trails. Fines run up to $1,000. (source)
The Alpine Loop from Lake City
The full loop is more than 60 miles and takes 6 to 8 hours of driving.
Toward Engineer Pass
Henson Creek Road
County Road 20 runs 9 miles up Henson Creek to the Capitol City ghost town, then on to Engineer Pass.
Capitol City →Toward Cinnamon PassLake Fork Road
County Road 30 heads south past Lake San Cristobal. The pavement ends past the lake.
Lake San Cristobal →ModerateAlpine Loop
Status, map, and season dates for the whole loop.
Trail status and map →ModerateEngineer Pass
The pass between Lake City and Ouray.
Trail status and map →Fuel and food
- Fill up in town. There are no gas stations on the loop itself. (source)
- Lake City Bakery for breakfast, bread, and pastries. It's seasonal, usually May to mid-October. (source)
- Packer's Saloon & Cannibal Grill on North Silver Street, with a patio. (source)
- Hours change by season, so check before you go.
Getting back to Ouray
- Over Engineer Pass in summer, the short way, by 4x4 or side-by-side. (source)
- By paved road it's a long drive around, through Gunnison or Montrose.
A little history
- A supply town from 1874 for prospectors in the San Juans, at about 8,670 feet. (source)
- The Alferd Packer case. In 1875, Packer was charged in the deaths of five prospectors whose remains were found near Lake City. He was convicted, retried in 1886, and paroled in 1901. (source)
- Lake City's historic district has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978. (source)