Animas Forks, Colorado: The Ghost Town Buried Under 25 Feet of Snow

Animas Forks, Colorado is a San Juan County ghost town 12 miles northeast of Silverton on the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway, sitting at 11,200 feet where the West Fork, North Fork, and main stem of the Animas River converge. Nine original buildings still stand. The Bureau of Land Management manages the site. It is one of the most visited and best-preserved mining ghost towns in Colorado.

01Why Was Animas Forks Founded?

The San Juan Mountains were Ute territory until 1873, when the Brunot Agreement forced the Ute to cede the mineral-rich high country to the United States. Prospectors moved in immediately. The first cabins at the confluence of the Animas River forks were built in 1873 — the same year the treaty was signed.

The location made geographic sense: three river valleys met at this point, creating natural routes into the surrounding mountains where silver and gold deposits were scattered across dozens of claims. Prospectors called the site "Three Forks of the Animas" before shortening it to Animas Forks.

02The Peak Years

By 1876, Animas Forks had 30 cabins, a hotel, a saloon, a post office, and a general store. By 1883, roughly 450 people lived there — remarkable for an elevation where winter arrives in September and doesn't leave until June. The town even had a newspaper, the Animas Forks Pioneer, documenting life in one of America's highest communities.

But this was a town under constant assault from its own landscape.

03The Disasters

In March 1877, a massive avalanche destroyed the recently completed San Juan smelting works along with a sawmill and three cabins. Losses were estimated at $30,000 — a devastating blow to a young mining camp.

The 1884 blizzard was worse. Twenty-three days of continuous snowfall buried the town under 25 feet of snow. Residents tunneled between buildings. The outside world was unreachable. When the snow finally stopped, the psychological damage was as significant as the physical: many families decided they would not spend another winter at 11,200 feet.

Fires in 1891 and 1913 destroyed additional buildings, steadily reducing the town's infrastructure.

04The Gold Prince Mill

Animas Forks had one last chance. In 1904, the Gold Prince Mill was constructed and a railroad spur was built through the town to serve it. The mill processed ore from surrounding claims, and for a few years it looked like Animas Forks might sustain itself as a milling center even as the prospecting era ended.

The Gold Prince Mill closed in 1910. It had failed to reach expectations. Without the mill, there was no economic justification for maintaining a settlement at 11,200 feet. By the 1920s, Animas Forks was a ghost town.

05Can You Visit Animas Forks Today?

Yes — it is one of Colorado's most accessible high-altitude ghost towns. Animas Forks sits on the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway, a 63-mile four-wheel-drive route connecting Silverton, Lake City, and Ouray through the heart of the San Juan Mountains. The BLM manages the site and maintains interpretive signage.

The road from Silverton to Animas Forks is passable by most high-clearance vehicles in summer (typically July through September). The final stretch requires 4WD.

06What Remains of Animas Forks Today

Nine original buildings stand at the site, including the distinctive bay-windowed Walsh House and several miners' cabins. The Gold Prince Mill's foundations and the remains of the railroad grade are visible. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has documented Animas Forks as part of Colorado's endangered historic places.

The setting alone makes the trip worthwhile: three river valleys converging at timberline, surrounded by 13,000-foot peaks, with nine weathered wooden buildings standing exactly where miners built them 150 years ago.