Posts From The Road: San Juan Mountains Colorado

Colorful San Juan Mountains: The beauty and color of the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado is some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. Shown is a red and yellow colored peak, which reveals the rich mineral content of these mountains. In the bottom center of the photo, two vehicles can be spotted as they travel through the area. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Stunning Scenery: Stunning scenery is seen in every direction as you travel through the San Juan Mountains. Shown are a few of the roads that traverse through these magnificent mountains. Most roads are dirt and rock but a four wheel drive vehicle is needed to safely travel the area. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos

The San Juan Mountain Range in southwest Colorado is not only the largest range in the state but it is considered the most diverse and beautiful ranges anywhere in the country. Stunning scenery is everywhere as you travel about this portion of Colorado.

The San Juan Range spans the Continental Divide and the jagged volcanic peaks are the steepest in the state. Within the range are 28 mountain peaks over 9,000 feet in elevation and 13 peaks over 14,000 feet in elevation.

A distinctive trait of the San Juan Mountain Range is the coloring seen across the peaks. The mineral rich mountains create various colorful landscapes of predominately reds, oranges, and yellows which shine on the peaks above timberline. The striking colors are more vivid in the San Juans compared to other ranges in the state.

It is the rich mineral deposits that create the beautiful colors of the San Juans. These mountains were first noted during the gold rush during the 1800s as the San Juan Mountains played an important role in Colorado’s mining history. Gold was discovered in the region in 1861 and silver and gold were mined throughout the region before falling on hard times in the early 1900s.

Today tourism is the king of the mountain as it is throughout the state. Towns such as Ouray, Silverton, Telluride, Creede and Lake City began as mining camps and towns in the 1800s and now cater to tourists. Since most of the regions backcountry is public lands, there are miles of old mining roads that create popular four-wheel drive routes for today’s tourists.

The ability to explore these magnificent mountains is a treat and a treasure. The mountain scenery, the waterfalls and alpine lakes scattered throughout the San Juan Mountains are nothing short of spectacular.

In addition to accommodations in all of the small towns scattered in the region, there are numerous campgrounds available in the towns as well as throughout the mountain backcountry. Hiking and biking as well as touring in off road vehicles are also popular activities in the summer and fall months.

The photos that are included in this post were taken during a late August excursion near Silverton. This is such a large mountain range it would be almost impossible to create a short post which covered the entire area. One could explore the San Juan Mountains every summer and never see all there is to see and appreciate in this region of Colorado.

Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.

Alpine Lake: Jagged peaks provide a back drop for this aqua colored alpine lake in the San Juan Mountains. Many small lakes dot the high mountain landscape in the region. Shown just above the lake are a few vehicles as the visitors stop to view the lake and scenery. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Waterfall: Another site seen often as you travel the backroads in the San Juan Mountains are waterfalls. Shown is a waterfall just off of a mountain road in the San Juans. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

High Altitude Tundra: The landscape above tree line is both beautiful and fragile. This view of the valley and alpine tundra is over 12,000 feet in elevation. The colors of the ground cover show the summer green and last only a few weeks at this altitude. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Mountain Road: A high mountain road makes its way around one of the red mountain peaks in the San Juan Mountains. The rich mineral content of the San Juans creates the colorful peaks. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com