A high-alpine gravel grind to 12,600+ feet on Colorado's legendary Alpine Loop, above Silverton.

Roadway: This is an unpaved county road (San Juan County Road 2, becoming County Road 30 near the summit) - hard-packed dirt and gravel lower down, turning rockier and rutted with loose rock and washboard sections as you approach 12,000 feet. A gravel bike with wide tires (40mm or larger) and low gearing can get you up it, but expect a few short pitches where walking is the sane option, especially if it's been raining. The road is graded periodically by the county, but conditions can change year to year after spring runoff and summer monsoon storms.

Traffic: This is one of the most popular 4x4 routes in Colorado, and it shows - expect a steady stream of Jeeps, UTVs, and dirt bikes, especially on summer weekends, kicking up dust and sharing a narrow roadbed with you. Weekday mornings are noticeably quieter. The road is only open, snow permitting, from around late May/June through October; it's closed and impassable the rest of the year.

Parking: There's no formal trailhead. Most riders start from a pullout along CR 2 near the Animas Forks ghost town site, or drive further up as road conditions allow and park at one of the informal pullouts closer to the base of the steep section. A parking area also exists right at the pass summit for anyone shuttling or finishing a full Alpine Loop crossing.

Come dressed for the terrain, not just the distance. A gravel bike with 40mm+ tires and mountain-bike-low gearing (contributors report needing something like a 32x52 to keep spinning on the steepest pitches) is the minimum setup - anything narrower or more road-oriented will struggle on the loose, rocky sections near the top.

There is no water, food, or services anywhere on the route, so carry everything you need for several hours above treeline. Pack layers regardless of the forecast - afternoon thunderstorms build fast in the San Juans in summer, and temperatures at 12,600 feet can be 20-30 degrees colder than in Silverton. Sun protection matters more than usual at this altitude, and if you're not acclimated, budget extra time - the thin air makes even moderate pitches feel harder than the numbers suggest.

Silverton is the obvious base - a real (if small) mountain town with lodging, restaurants, and a bike shop, about 12 miles from the start of the climb via the old mining towns of Howardsville and Eureka. Lake City, on the far side of the pass, is the other classic base if you're riding the Alpine Loop as a point-to-point or full loop with Engineer Pass.

Plan around the season - Cinnamon Pass is normally only open, snow permitting, from late May or June into October, and conditions can change quickly after storms, so check current status before you commit to the drive. Cell service is unreliable to nonexistent for most of the route, so let someone know your plan and carry a map or GPX file as backup.

Because the summit sits above 12,500 feet, weather can turn fast even on a clear morning - check current summit conditions before you go with our free Weather tool.