High in the rugged San Juan Mountains of Colorado lies Animas Forks, a captivating ghost town that whispers tales of a bygone era. Perched at an astonishing elevation of 11,200 feet on the renowned Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway, Animas Forks stands as a testament to the perseverance and ambition of early miners and pioneers who sought fortune in the unforgiving wilderness. This remote settlement, approximately 12 miles northeast of Silverton, was once a bustling hub of mining activity, its streets echoing with the sounds of commerce, industry, and daily life, before succumbing to the harsh realities of its environment and the volatile nature of the mining industry.
The journey to understand this remarkable site begins in 1873, when the first log cabin was erected by adventurous prospectors. What started as a modest mining camp, initially known as the Three Forks of the Animas River, rapidly evolved into a significant community. In February 1875, the establishment of a post office marked its formal recognition, and the name was fittingly shortened to Animas Forks. Due to its extreme altitude, residents initially faced the daunting challenge of migrating to Silverton during the brutal winter months, a practice that underscored the severity of life in this alpine frontier.
The Boom Years: Animas Forks Forges Its Identity
By 1876, the fledgling camp had blossomed into a vibrant mining town, boasting an impressive 30 cabins, a hotel, a general store, and even an unlicensed saloon alongside its official post office. A pivotal moment arrived with the construction of a large mill by the Dakota and San Juan Mining Company, an endeavor that, while not always profitable, projected an image of prosperity and attracted crucial external investment. This period laid the foundation for Animas Forks to become a regional center of commerce and communication.
Establishing Infrastructure and Community
The year 1877 proved to be transformative. A formal townsite was meticulously laid out, and the first legal saloon opened its doors, signaling a new era of organization. Recognizing the need for improved connectivity, visionary entrepreneur Otto Mears constructed a vital toll road that linked Ouray, Animas Forks, and Lake City. This infrastructural marvel drastically improved access, leading to daily stagecoach services between Animas Forks and Lake City, further cementing the town’s role as a regional nexus.
Simultaneously, significant mining developments were underway. The Mineral Point Tunnel, also known as the Bonanza Tunnel, began development in 1877. Investors behind the Bonanza Tunnel Company envisioned this project as a cost-effective solution for accessing rich ores between Animas Forks and the higher mining camp of Mineral Point. Plans were ambitious, aiming to drive the tunnel into Houghton Mountain’s California Gulch, beneath Mineral Point, and exit near the San Juan Chief Mill in Poughkeepsie Gulch. The company quickly became one of the largest employers in Animas Forks, driving economic growth and attracting a steady stream of workers.
The town’s development continued apace. In 1878, Edwin Brown, Levi Woodbury, and Harrison Garrison established a water-powered sawmill on the Animas River, capable of churning out an impressive 4,000 board feet of lumber daily by August. This local lumber production was crucial for the rapid construction fueling the town’s expansion. In 1879, William Duncan constructed a prominent two-story wood-frame house, a structure that remarkably still stands today as a testament to the town’s early architecture. That same year, the Brown brothers, Edwin and Squire, unveiled the Kalamazoo House, which would become the grandest hotel in Animas Forks, notable for its piano and the town’s singular telephone. As amenities improved, more residents chose to endure the winters, though they faced the ever-present dangers of avalanches and profound isolation.
Peak Prosperity and Initial Decline
By 1880, Animas Forks had a population of 114, and its incorporation the following year made it the second municipality in San Juan County. Over the next few years, the population reportedly swelled to 450, fueling a boom in new businesses. Three additional stores, two butcher shops, two boarding houses, the Mercer House hotel, the Flagstaff House restaurant and bakery, a drug store, two assay shops, and a blacksmith shop all opened their doors, serving the burgeoning community.
Esther Ekkard, who arrived in 1875, famously ran one of the boarding houses. Her policy of extending credit to miners made her establishment exceptionally popular. When a freeloading miner attempted to skip town after three months without paying, a vigilante committee promptly tracked him to Silverton, ensuring the debt was settled under threat of lynching. This incident, perhaps exaggerated in legend, ensured Mrs. Ekkard faced no further issues with unpaid bills.
Further institutional growth occurred in 1882 with the construction of a town jail, the launch of the newspaper The Animas Forks Pioneer, and the establishment of a formal school district. During these prosperous years, Animas Forks proudly declared itself the “largest city in the world,” though with a self-aware footnote, “at this altitude.” However, this promising era proved to be fleeting. By the mid-1880s, speculative mining activity in the area began to wane, initiating the town’s first significant decline.
Challenges and Setbacks
The harsh mountain environment also played a role in the town’s struggles. In 1884, a devastating blizzard dumped an astounding 25 feet of snow, forcing residents to dig tunnels between buildings for survival. They were snowbound for 23 days, cut off from vital supplies. This same year saw the cessation of work on the Mineral Point (Bonanza) Tunnel, and the town’s blacksmith departed, reflecting the economic downturn.
The closure of the butcher shop in 1885 and the newspaper in 1886 further signaled the town’s contraction. While the post office temporarily closed in February 1889, it reopened in October due to renewed activity from the Sunnyside Extension mine, offering a glimmer of hope. However, tragedy struck again in October 1891 when a fire, originating in the Kalamazoo House kitchen, raged through the town, destroying the hotel and 13 other buildings, causing an estimated $20,000 in damages. This catastrophic event led to the post office’s re-closure and the exodus of most of the remaining population. Despite this, a few gold mines, including the resilient Sunnyside Extension, continued intermittent operations throughout the 1890s, preventing Animas Forks from becoming completely deserted.
A Second Wind: The Early 20th Century Revival
A significant turning point arrived in 1903, offering Animas Forks a second chance at prosperity. The Gold Prince Mine Company acquired the Sunnyside Extension claims near the town, announcing ambitious plans for a massive new mill. Concurrently, Franklin Rockefeller and N.R. Bagley invested heavily in the Bonanza Tunnel, resuming work and acquiring 140 mineral claims in the vicinity.
Railroad, Mills, and Modernity
The year 1904 brought another critical development: the Silverton Northern Railroad extended its tracks from Eureka directly to Animas Forks. This railway connection dramatically reduced transportation costs, making the extraction of lower-grade ores economically viable. An aerial tramway was also installed to efficiently transport ore from the Gold Prince Mine to the planned mill. The town office reopened in July, and T. J. McKelvey, serving as postmaster and railroad depot agent, established a new merchandise store, reigniting commerce.
The construction of the Gold Prince Mill commenced in 1905, attracting numerous workers who repaired existing buildings and erected new residences. By August, four saloons were operating, reflecting the renewed vibrancy. Upon its completion, the Gold Prince Mill was a marvel, featuring 100 stamps and a capacity of 500 tons per day, making it the most expensive and largest mill in Colorado. Ore was shuttled to the mill from the Gold Prince mine via a 12,600-foot-long aerial tramway. In the same year, Rockefeller and Bagley formalized their mining interests by forming the Frisco Mines and Tunnel Company, renaming their primary asset the Bagley Tunnel. Its first ores were processed at the state-of-the-art Gold Prince Mill. With both companies in full swing, the population of Animas Forks once again surged to several hundred residents. The town modernized, gaining access to electricity, telephones, and a telegraph, a testament to its renewed importance.
However, this second boom was also short-lived. The Gold Prince Mill, despite its advanced capabilities, operated steadily for only about two years before its owners filed for bankruptcy in 1907, though it continued intermittent operations. By 1910, the Gold Prince Mill had closed permanently, and Animas Forks’ population dwindled to 90. Many of these remaining residents continued to work on the Bagley Tunnel, clinging to its promise.
The Bagley Tunnel, a monumental engineering feat, reached an impressive 7,500 feet in length by 1911, cutting through a dozen significant mineral veins. In 1912, the Frisco Mill was erected near the tunnel, a testament to innovative construction. This 150-ton reduction mill was entirely prefabricated by the San Juan Lumber company in Durango, its components numbered, dismantled, and then reassembled on the remote Animas Forks site. The Silverton Northern Railroad transported the massive building sections, which were then hauled by wagons to their final assembly point. The Frisco Mill represented the latest in mining technology, and its complex included a compressor building, a large tool shed, a blacksmith shed, a mine manager’s house, a substantial boarding house, and various outbuildings. Operating entirely on electricity and equipped with telephone service, the Frisco camp employed up to 32 miners and 8 to 10 mill workers. Production records from 1913 and 1914 indicate a significant output of 7,166 tons of ore from the veins serviced by the tunnel.
Unfortunately, disaster revisited Animas Forks in September 1913 with another devastating fire that destroyed several buildings, including multiple saloons and a boardinghouse, further eroding the town’s foundations.
The Final Retreat and Enduring Legacy
The closure of the Frisco Mill in 1914 marked the final major exodus of population from Animas Forks. The post office, a symbol of community and connection, closed its doors for the last time in November 1915. The final significant industrial activity occurred in 1917 with the dismantling of the Gold Prince Mill, most of its parts relocated to the Sunnyside Mill in Eureka. This event likely signified the final use of the railroad tracks that had once brought such hope and prosperity to the remote settlement.
In the decades that followed, some area mines, including the Gold Prince, Columbus, Red Cloud, Silver Coin, Early Bird, Little Roy, and Big Giant, were worked periodically, and miners occasionally occupied the town’s remaining buildings. However, the golden age of Animas Forks was definitively over. The Silverton Northern Animas Forks branch tracks, once a lifeline, were torn up in 1936, and the Columbus mine, one of the last holdouts, ceased operations in 1939.
Animas Forks Today: A Preserved Historic Site
Today, Animas Forks stands as one of Colorado’s most remarkably preserved ghost towns, a poignant reminder of the state’s rich mining heritage. Its historical significance was formally recognized in 2011 when the Animas Forks townsite was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Bureau of Land Management now oversees the site, diligently working to stabilize and restore its remaining structures for future generations.
Visitors to Animas Forks can explore nine remarkably well-preserved buildings, including the iconic two-story Duncan House, the Columbus Mill, and the sturdy jail structure, which holds the distinction of being the oldest standing building on the site. Interpretive signs strategically placed throughout the area offer fascinating insights into the daily lives and struggles of its former residents. Foundations and the skeletal remains of other fallen buildings dot the landscape, each a silent witness to a vibrant past.
Animas Forks has become one of the most popular destinations along the Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway, attracting history enthusiasts, photographers, and adventurers. A short distance west of Animas Forks, along County Road 9 in California Gulch, lie the haunting skeletal remains of the Frisco-Bagley Mill and Tunnel complex. Here, the partially collapsed 150-ton reduction mill, along with the robust cement foundations that once anchored its powerful compressors, and the now-blocked portal of the Bagley Tunnel, from which a stream still flows, invite contemplation of the immense effort expended in the pursuit of mineral wealth.
Further along County Road 9, visitors can discover the Sound Democrat Mine complex and the falling remains of other significant mines like the Gold Prince, Mastodon, and Hanson. The scenic journey back to Animas Forks or further south to Silverton on County Road 2 offers continuous views of this historically rich landscape.
Visiting Animas Forks
Accessing Animas Forks is an adventure in itself. From Silverton, visitors can travel northeast along County Road 2 for just over 12 miles. This unimproved road is generally passable in summer by two-wheel-drive vehicles. However, those venturing beyond Animas Forks, particularly on the more challenging sections of the Alpine Loop, will require a four-wheel-drive, high-clearance vehicle due to the rougher terrain.
From Ouray, the journey to Animas Forks is approximately 13.5 miles southeast. Take US 550 south for 4.3 miles, then turn left (east) onto County Road 18. From this point, a four-wheel-drive, high-clearance vehicle is essential, as some portions of this route are rated for “expert” 4×4 drivers only. County Road 18 continues for 4.3 miles before transitioning into County Road 17. After 2.7 miles on County Road 17, turn right (south) onto County Road 2, which leads directly to Animas Forks in about two miles. These routes offer breathtaking scenery and a true sense of the remoteness that defined this historic mining town.
Conclusion: The Enduring Spirit of Animas Forks
Animas Forks stands as more than just a collection of decaying buildings; it is a powerful echo of the American West’s pioneering spirit. Its cycles of boom, bust, and resilience, shaped by both human ambition and the formidable forces of nature, encapsulate the dramatic history of Colorado’s mining frontier. As visitors traverse the rugged roads and explore the silent structures, they are transported back to an era of immense hope, hardship, and unwavering determination. The preserved ghost town of Animas Forks remains a vital educational site and a breathtaking testament to the enduring human quest for prosperity in the face of incredible odds, inviting all who visit to reflect on the stories etched into its weathered timbers and rocky landscape.
