Animas Forks, Colorado
May 28, 2013
Our drive from Durango to the historic old mining town of Animas Forks took in many amazing Colorado vistas.
Stopping at the Rt. 550 overpass, we watched the morning stream train chuffing it’s way out of the Animas Valley of Durango. It was filled with tourist heading to Silverton.
This is a view from Molas Pass at 10,190 feet of elevation in the San Juan National Forest. Molas Lake is in the background.
After leaving Silverton, we headed up scenic County Rd 2 to Animas Forks. Along the was we followed the Animas River. This old bridge shows the remains of a mining operation in these mountains.
The town of Animas Forks was founded in 1875. By 1885, the summer population has reached 450. Few people braved the harsh winters at this elevation since many of the mines where shut down. The town weathered the boom and bust cycles of mining until the 1920’s when the price of metals fell worldwide and began it’s slow transformation into the ghost town we see today.