There are three possible routes that are non-highway to get you from Ouray to American Basin. The first you would run into coming south on 550 is Mineral Creek. The first time I was down there, we came down that route in a stock 2000 Chevy Silverado Z71 and there were no issues. However I have not been on it since and have heard numerous reports of it getting rougher and now requiring 4x4 and clearance.trailmasonjim wrote:The route description to the American Basin TH is from Lake City. Is there a decent route from Ouray? On Google it shows a route but not sure how those roads are. Has anyone driven to the American Basin TH from Ouray?
The second is Corkscrew Pass to Hurricane Pass to California Pass to Cinnamon Pass. This is a convoluted route, which while generally fairly easy would probably require some decent clearance and possibly 4x4. The trails/roads will be marked as such. You can just take Cement Creek down from Corkscrew into Silverton, assuming that's been reopened after the mine disaster, but at that point it'd be faster just taking 550 down to Silverton. For that matter, going through Silverton is faster than this pass route period. It's just a really scenic drive if you want to take it.
Which is your third route. Take 550 down to Silverton then head up to Animas Forks. There's a point before you get to Animas where the road will become rougher, but still passable for passenger vehicles. However from Animas as you climb up to Cinnamon Pass there are some rocky sections where low clearance passenger vehicles are not recommended at all. Any stock 4x4 should have no problems, and the actual four wheel drive isn't typically needed, just the clearance. On the far side of the pass there is a long downhill just before the American Basin turnoff that 4wd can help engine brake on, but even just regular low should be fine. There are some tight switchbacks right at treeline that can require multi-point turns. This is an extremely popular part of the Alpine loop, so you will see far more people going from Silverton to Animas and then on to Engineer or Cinnamon than you will on either of the other two. You will probably see more heavily built 4x4 rigs on Mineral Creek.
There is a hiking trail that starts from the Animas Forks side (I think it's mentioned earlier in this thread) which you climb over a ridge and into American Basin, then up the peak, and theoretically you wouldn't need clearance to reach that trailhead but you would have more elevation gain to get there. If you have the vehicle/clearance and a level of comfort driving CO mountain forest roads, it is faster to go over Cinnamon, even from Ouray. Probably shave at least an hour off the time to drive around on the highway. There are numerous threads on here about these roads if you do a little searching.
