One of the best reasons to join Accelerate Adventures on a riding tour is to absorb all the rich history of this area around us. Whether that involves exploring ghost towns, old mining facilities, or a litany of museums, you won’t regret your time learning about historical Colorado.
The nearby community of Animas Forks, Colorado, is a terrific spot to do this. It’s not only gorgeous but also home to an abandoned mining facility from the latter 19th century.
Why You Should Visit Animas Forks, Colorado
You can find Animas Forks near the top of the San Juan mountains, which puts you at a considerable elevation of 11,000 feet. They originally settled this area for mining purposes in 1873, and there are a few of the old buildings still there. Given the high elevation and rugged terrain, you’ll need either a reliable off-roading motorcycle or a Jeep to get there.
Again, this was once a mining company, which would have lasted from about the 1870s until the 1910s. The community became a ghost town by 1920 when miners and speculators packed up and left. Its remains are a bit fragile, but the Bureau of Land Management still allows unrestricted access.
There are plenty of incredible artifacts and features to check out once you get there.
- Old Downtown of Animas Forks
- From a historical perspective, here’s what the mining area looked like originally: A View of the Mining Community in 1878
- Plus, there are many scenic views all along Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway, which runs between Silver City and Ouray. They call it that because of all the gold mining opportunities that were once abundant all throughout that area.
That’s just a small selection of the things to see if you ever make it to Animas Forks. Of course, you don’t have to travel alone when you can . . .
Come with us as Part of a Four-Day Riding Tour
The best way to explore Animas Forks is to ride along with us on an epic four-day riding tour. We cross this location on the second day of the tour when we go from Lake City to Ouray. Once you arrive at Ouray, after almost five hours of riding, you can enjoy some of the most resplendent hot spring pools in the region.
Accelerate Adventures exists to help riding enthusiasts find and enjoy the most scenic and memorable locations in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Our guided and unguided tours are top-rated because they allow adventurers to see everything from waterfalls and tall mountains to ghost towns and other historic sites. If this sounds like a blast, then call us anytime to schedule a riding tour at (719) 395-8115.