Alpine Loop
Colorado Scenic Byway 67 mi in Colorado.
About the Alpine Loop
The Alpine Loop leaves pavement and people behind, crossing the remote, rugged, spectacular heart of the San Juan Mountains. It's demanding—the two 12,000-foot passes (Cinnamon and Engineer) require a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle — but the well-prepared motorist reaps unparalleled rewards: pristine mountain views, hiking and biking trails, great camping opportunities, and ample solitude. These rocky roads were first used by 19th-century miners, who carted their ore off to Silverton, Ouray, and Lake City in mule-drawn wagons. Spend an afternoon exploring abandoned town sites, structures, and other former mining haunts—if you want to commune with ghosts of Colorado's rich past.
Colorado Department of Transportation's own description, in its words. Byway page on codot.gov.
Designations: BLM Back Country Byway, Colorado State Scenic Byway.
Camping along the byway
- on the roadMill Creek Campground (CO) · Bureau of Land Management · 31 sites · reservable
- on the roadWilliams Creek (CO) · Forest Service · 4 sites · reservable
- 2.4 mi offAmphitheater (Co) · Forest Service · 35 sites · reservable
- 2.6 mi offAngel Creek Campground · Forest Service
- 2.8 mi offThistledown Campground · Forest Service
- 3.7 mi offSlumgullion Campground · Forest Service
Public campgrounds within 5 miles of the road as the crow flies, nearest the road first (this stretch is in several separate pieces); each one's page has its facts, season and weather by month.
About this page's facts
The line is the Federal Highway Administration's scenic byways layer (HEPGIS, a snapshot of 2022-06-24, a US government work), cut at the state line and simplified for the map; the length is the line's. The designation is the program's own: the national tiers from FHWA's America's Byways roster, the rest from the layer's designation field. Road conditions, closures and seasonal gates change: check the agency's own page and the state's road conditions before you go.