Lake City is the sort of village that never quite got the memo about the twenty-first century. Tucked into a high valley of the San Juan Mountains at around 8,600 feet, it has about 370 residents, a short main street of wooden false fronts, a handful of cafes and a county courthouse that serves one of the emptiest counties in Colorado. It was a silver-mining town in the 1870s, and the mines lasted just long enough to leave behind a pretty centre and a ring of ghost towns. The nearest bigger place is Gunnison, and the closest for fuel is in the village itself, so check your tank before heading into the backcountry.
The Alpine Loop starts from here and joins Lake City with Silverton and Ouray over two high passes, Engineer Pass at about 12,800 feet and Cinnamon Pass at about 12,600. This is not a paved road, it is a rocky, steep, sometimes narrow mountain track, best suited to adventure bikes and 4x4 vehicles, and not a place for road bikes or heavy tourers. Snow blocks the passes from October to June, and even in summer, thunderstorms, mud and rockfall can slow progress. Check conditions before starting.
The land around is a lesson in geology and history. Lake San Cristobal, just south of town, was formed about seven hundred years ago when the Slumgullion Earthflow, a huge landslide, dammed Lake Fork of the Gunnison River, and the scar of that slide is still visible on the hillside, creeping slowly downhill. The area also has a grim footnote: in the winter of 1873–74, a prospector named Alferd Packer led a party into the mountains here and returned alone, admitting to cannibalism, and the story is retold with relish by local guides.
Beyond the passes lie old mining sites, among them the ghost town of Capitol City, and wide meadows with columbines, Indian paintbrush and lupines in July. Aspens in late September turn the slopes gold. Bring a jacket, carry water, and expect little phone signal. The best season is late June to mid September, and the high roads are often empty on weekday mornings.