Animas Forks Ghost Town

San Juan County, Colorado37.9308, -107.5670

Can you visit?

Public land, open access

Gunnison Field Office · Open to visitors

Nearest town
14 miTelluride, CO
Mild months
Jun–Sep4 of 12
Elevation
11,200 ft3,414 m
Animas Forks, Colorado
Photo: Kimon Berlin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Animas Forks is a ghost town in San Juan County, Colorado. It lies at about 11,200 feet above sea level. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

On the map

20 mi40 miMontroseTellurideRidgwayAnimas Forks
  • BLM
  • National Forest
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Animas Forks. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Telluride, CO, about 14 miles west in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Grand Junction, CO, 97 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Eureka3.5 mi south
  2. Middleton5.2 mi south
  3. Ironton6.2 mi west
  4. Howardsville6.7 mi south
  5. Guston6.8 mi west
  6. Capitol City7.6 mi northeast
  7. Red Mountain Town7.6 mi west
  8. Ouray8.6 mi northwest

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

BLM land: Gunnison Field Office

PAD-US places this spot on Gunnison Field Office, land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. PAD-US marks it as open to the public. Park rules, fees and seasonal closures can still apply.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

-10°10°30°50°70°90°34-6Jan36-3Feb436Mar4817Apr5825May7031Jun7538Jul7237Aug6630Sep5520Oct437Nov34-5DecJan: 2.0 inFeb: 2.1 inMar: 2.0 inApr: 1.7 inMay: 1.7 inJun: 0.9 inJul: 2.4 inAug: 2.8 inSep: 2.8 inOct: 2.1 inNov: 1.7 inDec: 1.6 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run June to September, judging by NOAA normals from Silverton. Snow is normal from October to May.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Silverton station (USC00057656), 9.9 miles away. The town sits about 1,900 feet higher than the station, so expect it to run cooler. About 23.8 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationSan Juan County, Colorado
Coordinates37.93080, -107.56700
Elevation11,200 ft (3,414 m)
Protected asNational Register of Historic Places (NRHP 11000095)
Also known asAnimas Forks, Colorado, Animas Forks, CO
SourcesWikidata Q4765059 · Wikipedia article · NPS register file

Questions

Where is Animas Forks ghost town?

In San Juan County, Colorado, at 37.9308, -107.5670. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Telluride, CO, about 14 miles west in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Grand Junction, CO, 97 miles away.

Can you visit Animas Forks?

Public land, open access. PAD-US places this spot on Gunnison Field Office, land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. PAD-US marks it as open to the public. Park rules, fees and seasonal closures can still apply.

When is the best time to visit Animas Forks?

Mild months here run June to September, judging by NOAA normals from Silverton. Snow is normal from October to May.

Are there other ghost towns near Animas Forks?

Yes. Eureka (3.5 mi), Middleton (5.2 mi), Ironton (6.2 mi), Howardsville (6.7 mi).

More ghost towns in Colorado

All 141 ghost towns in Colorado · Ghost towns near Grand Junction