SUBMITTED BY: San Juan Images (Barbara Lawson/Ray Turner)
GPS COORDINATES: 37.916, -107.704 Trailhead
37.9266, -107.7103 Bottom of gulch
37.9323, -107.7134 Upper gulch with optional mining road access
to stunning flowers
37.9302, -107.7081 Overlook of Red Mountain Mining district
ELEVATION: 10,680 to 12,060
DRIVING DIRECTIONS FROM DURANGO: 59 miles north on US 550 to the Red Mountain Mining District Overlook at the old Idarado Mine site. You passed a gate at the start of a 180 degree switchback 1/10 of a mile before the turn off to the overlook. This is the trailhead. There is very limited parking near the gate, but there is always parking at the overlook.
ROAD CONDITIONS: (mark yes if applies)
PAVED: Yes
GRAVEL:
DIRT:
ROCKY:
OTHER:
ACCESSIBILITY: (Mark yes if applies)
ANY VEHICLE: Yes
HIGH CLEARANCE:
4x4 VEHICLE:
OTHER:
BEST TIME OF YEAR: Alpine flower season -- last two weeks of July through the first two weeks August. This is one of the later blooming basins.
BEST TIME OF DAY: Morning golden hour through late afternoon
CAMERA EQUIPMENT / SETTINGS SUGGESTIONS: This is flower heaven. You are going to want wide angle, macro, and normal lenses, a tripod, a polarizing filter and perhaps a soft graduated neutral density filter, depending on sky conditions.
HIKING INFO: This is a 2.5 mile hike one way gaining 1500 feet of elevation on a well established old mining road. There are numerous lesser spur roads to interesting mining sites, but stay with the main road, always to the north.
OTHER NOTE WORTHY INFORMATION: