California Pass

California Pass is a historic four-wheel-drive road near Silverton, Colorado. It began with a purpose - to find and transport gold. Today, it is a pleasurable route offering scenic vistas of the San Juan Mountains with abundant, deeply rich, and colorful wildflowers. From the top of California Pass at 12,963 feet, look northwest for a fantastic view of the shimmering aquamarine Lake Como. The eastern side of California Pass offers glimpses of one of the most booming mining areas Colorado had to offer in the late 1800s, with the well-preserved ghost town of Animas Forks and the Frisco Mill. It is a perfect trail to combine with so many other trails that southwestern Colorado is known for and for anyone looking to get comfortable driving on shelf roads for the first time.