Engineer Pass, Jeep, Trail, Colorado, Offroad, Alpine Loop

This is the final ascent to the summit of Engineer Pass, a moderate-rated Jeep trail in the San Juan Mountains near Ouray, Colorado. This trail is part of the famous Alpine Loop.

Check back soon for more videos on Engineer Pass, including the beginning of the trail that starts at U.S. Highway 550 outside Ouray, Colorado.

Additional videos coming soon: Corkscrew Pass, Ophir Pass, Cinnamon Pass, Last Dollar Road, Brown's Gulch, American Basin and Red Mountain Mining District.

Music:
"Running Up That Hill" by Placebo
"Beautiful Day" by U2
"Watching the Wheels" by John Lennon

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Engineer
• Pass
• Summit
• Offroad
• Colorado
• San
• Juan
• Mountains
• Ouray
• Jeep
• 4WD
• Four
• Wheeling
• offroading
• Alpine
• Loop
• Trail

[rosie23336]

Our goal is to get to Ouray from Lake City. Obviously we could go south to Durango or north to Montrose, but thought we would take a more "scenic" (but not too difficult) route through the mountains. We are traveling from KS, spending the night at South Fork, then on to Ouray. Have been to Animas Forks on our last trip, LOVED it and wouldn't mind seeing it again.

[JeepsterGal]

@rosie23336 You can either take the full trail for Engineer Pass then, and come out on the highway next to Ouray, OR just go to Silverton and take the highway to Ouray, obviously. There are no ugly routes down there, as I'm sure you're aware! Have a great time!

[rosie23336]

Thanks so much for your help! So..... is this the Cinnamon Pass road that we will be taking just south of Lake City? Trying to figure out my map, I don't see anything that says North Fork Cutoff. Will there be signs once we get there?

[JeepsterGal]

@rosie23336 Well, Cinnamon Pass and Engineer Pass make a "loop" starting from Animas Forks Ghost Town to Lake City. You can take either to Lake City and take the other back to Animas Forks (and then on to Silverton). If you take Cinammon Pass from Lake City, you will simply follow the signs to Animas Forks (if you want to stop there and I recommend you do; it's awesome) and then on to Silverton. Or you can bypass Animas Forks and go straight to Silverton. Running out of room, more text next...

[JeepsterGal]

So if you take Engineer Pass from Lake City, after you go over the summit and you're on the Silverton side of the mountain, you will see a sign for North Fork Cutoff / Animas Forks. Take that for the easy trip back to Silverton. Otherwise, you will follow the signs that say Engineer Pass Hwy 550 Ouray. That will dump you out about 5 miles outside Ouray on Hwy. 550 and this is the more tedious and technical part of Engineer.

[neuron1234]

In 2009 I took my new 2009 FJ Crusier over this route and to my surprise I passed a Honda CRV comming down from the summit. My wife gave me a hard time since she owns a Honda CRV. I once passed a VW Minibus going up the road. I have been over this route with every 4X4 I have ever owned. I managed not to get vapor locked with my 1986 Jeep Cherokee. I still have my old 1991 full-sized Blazer. It's been there the most. I took my 1999 Tahoe up 2-3 times. I plan to get back this year with my FJ.

[xoxoSARAHnichole]

took my tj from lake city to ouray its an amazing ride

[vailmaster5]

drove this whole pass in a suburban..

[JeepsterGal]

@rosie23336 It is simply very tedious driving because you must travel so slow and you get shaken around quite a bit, but it's fun, technical driving. It is indeed narrow in many places, but it's a beautiful drive. But expect to take a much longer trip going that way, but everyone should experience it at least once to say you've fully driven Engineer Pass. The North Fork Cutoff is pretty easy as long as you have ground clearance and a low gear.

[JeepsterGal]

@rosie23336 If you take the trail from Lake City to SILVERTON it is not so bad, no. That is called taking the "North Fork Cutoff." That takes you through to Animas Forks and then on to Silverton. However, that is the "short cut." If you take it from Lake City all the way to OURAY instead, yes, it is a difficult trail. the bottom portion of the trail, from the Animas Forks area down onto Highway 550, is very steep, narrow and extreme rocky with huge rocks. (see more text, running out of room)...