Animas Forks is a ghost town that looks as though the residents stepped out an hour ago and forgot to come back. At about 3,400 metres it sits in a high basin where several creeks meet to form the upper Animas River, ringed by steep slopes, and a scatter of weathered wooden buildings still stands among the grass and wildflowers. The Duncan House, with its bay window and painted trim, is the most photographed, and the old jail and the remains of the Gold Prince mill can be seen nearby.
The town was founded in the early 1870s during the silver and gold rush in the San Juans, and for a few years it flourished, with a few hundred residents in summer, a hotel, a post office, a newspaper and the usual saloons. Winters were another matter. In the winter of 1884, a single storm is said to have buried the town under many feet of snow, and people tunnelled between buildings for weeks. Eventually the ore played out, and by the 1920s the last residents had gone, leaving the buildings to the weather. Today the site is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the local historical society, and the best advice is to look but not climb on the walls.
The road to Animas Forks is a gravel track, in decent shape in summer, and it is easier than the passes on either side. The approach from Silverton follows the river upstream, past more old mines, with the surface a mix of packed dirt and stones. A cautious rider on a decent bike will manage it, though the narrow bends and the oncoming jeeps need care. Rain makes the dirt greasy, and thunderstorms in the afternoon can flood the creek crossings. The road is usually open from about June until the first heavy snow in autumn.
Nothing here sells anything. Silverton, about fifteen kilometres to the south, is a narrow-gauge railway town with fuel, cafes and a tough, handsome main street, and Ouray is the other source, a longer ride. Carry water, wear warm clothing and give yourself time. The altitude is serious, and you may be breathless walking between the buildings. The light on the slopes at the end of the day, when the shadows lengthen, is lovely, but plan to be off the track before dark.