4x4 tour
Season: Summer to early autumn
San Juan Mountains jeep tour
- High passes on the Alpine Loop
- Ghost towns and old mines
Why drive it
Almost all of Creede’s silver came from the hills along this road. The mines have names like the Commodore, the Amethyst, the Last Chance, the Bachelor and the Bulldog, and their timber buildings still cling to the canyon walls above Willow Creek. The drive is short in miles but long on history, and the views over the valley are superb.
The route
- Willow Creek Canyon: the road leaves the north end of town between towering cliffs, past the mine buildings of the Commodore high on the rock.
- The mining district: numbered pull-offs explain the mines, the tramways and the people who worked them.
- The Bachelor townsite: a busy mining town in the 1890s, now an open meadow with a few traces and wide views.
- The return: the loop comes back down to Creede past the town cemetery.
Road and vehicle
The loop is a gravel road that climbs steeply in places. The Forest Service recommends a high-clearance vehicle and suggests that two-wheel-drive cars drive the loop in reverse to avoid the steepest climbs. A printed guide to the stops is sold in town. Snow closes the road from late autumn to late spring.
Tips
- Almost all the land along the loop is private, and the old mines are dangerous. Stay on the road and at the pull-offs.
- Allow two to three hours with stops.
- Late September brings golden aspens and the best light. Read our guide to autumn colour around Creede.
- Visit the Underground Mining Museum first to make sense of what you see.
