Ghost Town on Alta Lakes Trail

One of the several highlights of hiking the Alta Lakes Trail is the ghost town of Alta, about 0.6 miles from the lakes. Alta Lakes Road turns east off of Highway 145 between Telluride and Lizard Head Pass, just north of Ophir in southwest Colorado.

The site appears to be well protected, apparently on private property with fences deterring any poking around inside the old structures. They certainly had a good view from up here, around 11,000 feet up.

Water for the mining activity was probably managed using the Alta Lakes which appear to have been engineered using small earthen berms. The Alta town site was the center of mining activity in the Alta-Gold King area from 1877 to 1948. A fire in the mill ended the activity here. It is about four miles along the steep Alta Lakes Road to the town of Alta.
Alta was one of the first Industrial sites to use alternating current electricity. A long distance transmission line was completed from the Ames power plant on the San Miguel River on June 21, 1891.


The Ames power plant still operates using water from nearby Trout Lake. Some of the pipework is visible along the Galloping Goose Trail.

Alta Lakes Trail

The Alta Lakes Trail follows gravel Alta Lakes Road east off of Highway 145 in southwest Colorado between Telluride and Lizard Head Pass and is about a 4.5 mile walk. This road is normally easily driveable and most visitors will be driving.

The road climbs steeply through thick Aspen and Spruce Forest. The walking is easy enough on the smooth road.

The lower part of the road provides spectacular views to the east and south to the San Miguel Mountains and the Lizard Head area, and it gets better the higher you go. As the road gets higher the mountains to the east become more visible.

Some of these peaks have the look of "needles" that a few other sites in the region have. Higher still and the famous "Lizard Head" comes into view back to the south.

After 1:45 and about 4 miles the ghost town of Alta appears. This site is fairly well preserved and was active from 1877 to 1948.  (use the labels to see separate post on the ghost town.)

From Alta, a hiker can continue on the road or take a short trail that starts at the back of the ghost town site. In the vicinity of the trailhead there is an alternate route coming up here from Telluride called Boomerang Road, and Lift 10.

There are three Alta Lakes and they have an engineered look to them, some constructed berms and flow control valves, but the setting is spectacular. 

It took me 2:00 hours to arrive at the Alta Lakes including a short stop at the Alta ghost town. I spent about 1:45 hours hiking around and between the lakes before returning. This appears to be a popular camping and fishing spot and is also a popular back roads 4WD destination.