Cinnamon Pass Road — Lake City to Silverton via the San Juan Alpine Crest

Cinnamon Pass sits at 12,640 feet on the divide between Hinsdale and San Juan counties, and the shelf road getting there from Lake City via the American Basin approach is steep, loose, and spectacular in equal measure. The route runs south out of Lake City on CR 30 (Engineer Pass Road), up through Burrows Park’s wide grassy valley, past the ruins of Carson ghost town — occupied in the 1880s silver rush and abandoned by 1903 — and up the final switchbacks to the pass. Descend the west side through Animas Forks ghost town into Silverton via the upper Animas River canyon. Animas Forks alone — a preserved cluster of 19th-century mine buildings at 11,200 feet — is worth the trip.

This is a rated difficult trail in dry summer conditions; in early season or after afternoon thunderstorms it earns expert status on the descent. You need a stock high-clearance 4WD minimum — a lifted truck with lockers is better for the loose rock switchbacks on the Cinnamon side. Typically open late June through September, but check with Gunnison National Forest and BLM Lake City Field Office for current conditions — snow lingers late and returns early at this elevation. No permit required. Dispersed camping is available throughout the Cunnison NF section. Fuel up in Lake City or Silverton — nothing in between. This is part of the Alpine Loop and sees traffic in peak summer; start early to avoid afternoon lightning.