Picayne and Placer Gulches

Picayne and Placer Gulch is a gorgeous route offering scenic vistas of the San Juan Mountains and traverses an area rich with mining history. This area is alive with vivid wildflowers in the peak season of late July/early August, painting a colorful pattern across the green alpine meadows and towering stone peaks. The Sound Democrat Mill is one of the best-preserved mine structures in Colorado. Restored by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for visitors to tour, it still possesses all of its machinery in place, from the stamp batteries to Wilfley tables. This lets visitors see how precious minerals were processed from the raw ore that entered the mill.