Things to Do | Lakeview Property Management, Inc.

4X4 ATV AND VEHICLE TRAILS

This is one of the most popular activities in the San Juan Mountains! Enjoy 100s of miles of off roading 4×4 trails just out the back door of our Colorado cabins and vacation homes. You will find nothing but Colorado’s best scenery including mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers, wildflower and wildlife. There is no need to worry about long hauls of your off roading equipment in order to enjoy the very best off roading that our area has to offer. You can quite literally ride out directly onto the Alpine Loop from all of our Lake properties! Please obey all local laws and stay on the trails when riding. The Alpine Tundra is very fragile….we want people to enjoy the high country for generations to come! Check this website for more information on the Colorado Scenic Byway https://www.colorado.com/articles/colorado-scenic-byway-alpine-loop

FISHING

In Lake City the fishing is exceptional, with both lake, along the trails and river fishing. Making both wonderful family or individual outings, fishing in the Lake City areas is sure to be some of the best fishing experiences you have every had. Whether you prefer bait, spinner or fly fishing there is something here for you. There are 5 different varieties of trout in the waters around Lake City: Brown, Cutthroat, Rainbow, Cutbow (Cutthroat/Rainbow Cross), and Brook.

COMMINITY EVENTS

There are many community events held throughout the year. Please visit the Chamber of Commerce website for all the information and dates! http://www.lakecity.com/mountain-town-activities

HISTORIC GHOST TOWNS AND MINES

Do you like old stuff? Then you will love our local historic ghost towns that have plenty of old cabins, relics and places to explore. The Hinsdale County Museum which is also a wonderful place to explore. Their website is listed below and it is a wonderful place for families to explore the history of the area. They even have activities for the kids while at the museum as well as walking tours of points of interest in town. These include a “Ghost Tour” and a “Cemetery Tour” which are both fun.

The Hard Tack Mine is a wonderful mine tour that will give you a taste of what it was like to be a miner in the Lake City area. Lake City is actually home to many mines with one still in operation. You can check the following websites for more information.

Hard Tack Mine – http://www.hardtackmine.com/

Hinsdale County Museum – http://www.lakecitymuseum.com/

LAKE CITY HISTORIC DISTRICT

Born of a fiery and molten past, the unique geologic and environmental features of Colorado’s northeastern San Juans have driven and continue to drive the sometimes calm and sometimes flourishing history of remote Hinsdale County. Where Native Americans once found rich, summer hunting grounds, the heralded discovery of precious metals in the mid-1800s quickly replaced Ute hunters with prospectors, miners, merchants and pioneer families who rushed westward during the frontier expansion of the United States.

At the turn of the century, the mining boom went bust and Hinsdale County, with its surviving town of Lake City, settled into a slower, yet still ruggedly demanding way of life. By the 1950s, however, Hinsdale and Lake City were rediscovered, once again for the natural attractions and bounty that had lured the area’s earliest visitors and inhabitants.

Another one of our favorite spots to visit is the good ol’ Soda Shop in the historic district. It is located in a building built in 1875, and is the home to an old-fashioned soda fountain that dates back to the early 1900′s. They have wonderful gifts, the fountain serves authentic old-fashioned ice cream sodas, hand-mixed fountain drinks, thick malts and shakes, sundaes, and generously sized scooped cones. The offer more than 35 flavors in the heart of our season! You can find out even more about this favorite little stop at : www.sanjuansodacompany.com.

HIKING/BACKPACKING

One of the benefits of being in the most remote county in the lower 48 with 96 percent public lands is that it takes only a few miles by foot or hoof and minutes by bicycle to leave civilization behind. Hinsdale County offers seemingly endless miles of trails, 19 public campgrounds, five fourteeners, and over 20 thirteeners. Hikers and backpackers have a vast amount of options in three National Forests, one BLM district, four national wilderness areas, and two wilderness study areas, all of which have several access points within miles of Lake City. Hinsdale County does not limit itself to just hikers. There are trails open to horses and mountain bikes in addition to hikers.

Note: Trail maps are available at the Visitor Center and a number of local stores. Please remember to stay on marked trails and that mountain bikes are not allowed in wilderness areas. You can also get more information on the are at the Chamber of Commerce website which is www.lakecity.com.

Hiking & Backpacking Trails Maps of these trails are available at the Visitor Center and at area stores. Most links take you to the BLM website (or another external source) with additional information and maps.

Alpine Gulch 6 miles

American Basin (to Handies Peak) 3.2 miles

Big Blue Creek 12 miles

Canon Infierno 6 miles

Cataract Gulch 4.1 miles

Cooper Creek

Cottonwood Creek 4.1 miles

Crystal Lake 4 miles

Cuba Gulch 3.25 miles

Devil’s Creek 6.8 miles

Larson Lakes 7.1 miles

Powderhorn Lakes 4.5 miles