Entry No. 86 — the Durango file — filed under: ghost town
Gold Prince Mill at Animas Forks - building foundation
Constructed in 1905 at a cost of $500,000, the Gold Prince Mill was once the largest and most technologically advanced ore-processing facility in Colorado, featuring 100 stamps and a structural steel frame. The mill only operated until 1910, and by 1917, its machinery and structural steel were dismantled and relocated to Eureka. Today, all that remains of this massive facility at the southern edge of the Animas Forks ghost town is its sprawling, terraced concrete foundation.
The story
In 1905, someone dropped half a million dollars—an absurd fortune at the time—into the frozen dirt at 11,200 feet to construct a titan. The Gold Prince Mill wasn't just big; it was a 100-stamp, structural steel industrial fortress, built to process ore faster and harder than anything else in Colorado. It was supposed to anchor the fortune of the San Juan Mountains forever.
It ran for five years. By 1910, the high-altitude math failed, the mill went quiet, and by 1917, salvage crews climbed the pass with heavy wrenches. They unbolted the massive steel skeleton, packed up the 100 stamps, and hauled the whole industrial kit down to Eureka to rebuild it for the Sunnyside operation. They took everything that had value.
What they couldn't take was the concrete. Tons of stepped, heavy-pour foundations were left anchored deep into the mountain slope. Today, standing at the southern edge of the Animas Forks ghost town, you aren't looking at wooden cabin ruins—you are looking at a brutalist concrete staircase to nowhere, an abandoned mega-project stripped to its bones.
What it's like
To get here, you'll be bouncing up the Alpine Loop—a rough high-country route where a high-clearance 4WD vehicle is standard equipment. Once at Animas Forks, skip the restored wooden cabins for a moment and head directly to the southern perimeter. You can walk right up onto the stepped concrete tiers, which drop down the slope like ancient gray amphitheater seating. The wind at 11,000 feet doesn't quit, there are no handrails or warning signs around the drop-offs, and you'll likely share the quiet only with mountain air and the faint rumble of passing trail rigs.
The move: Take a scenic 4WD drive up the Alpine Loop to the Animas Forks ghost town, then walk to the southern edge of the site to photograph the massive terraced concrete foundations of the mill against the dramatic backdrop of the San Juan Mountains.
📍 Before you go The foundation is located within the Animas Forks ghost town, which is public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the San Juan County Historical Society, allowing visitors to freely explore the outdoor ruins.
- 📍 Silverton
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Silverton, CO 81433, USA
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.
Pair it with
- Animas Forks Mine and Ghost Town — Walk a few hundred yards north from the concrete pad to explore the surviving wooden cabins of the town that housed the mill's workers.
- Frisco Mill at Bagley Tunnel — Drive less than a mile down the trail to compare the Gold Prince's bare concrete tiers with a standing timber-framed mill.
- Sunnyside Mill foundation & ruins — Head 3.4 miles down toward Eureka to see where the Gold Prince's steel frame and machinery were hauled and re-erected in 1917.
Good to know
Where did the actual building go?
In 1917, workers unbolted the steel framework and dismantled the machinery, hauling the raw materials down the canyon to Eureka to construct the Sunnyside Mill.
Do you need a permit or ticket to visit?
No. The foundation sits on public land managed jointly by the Bureau of Land Management and the San Juan County Historical Society, allowing free access.
What kind of vehicle do you need to reach the site?
You'll want a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle to navigate the dirt, rock, and ruts of the Alpine Loop road out of Silverton.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · westernmininghistory.com · legendsofamerica.com · aztecnm.com
last checked: 2026-07-20