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Earth satellite image of route
Rating: 3/10 The Eureka Gulch road starts at the Eureka townsite, eight miles outside of Silverton, and ends at the site of former Lake Emma. You wouldn't know it today, but Eureka was a very lively place back in the 1880s and 90s. To the tune of 2,000 people, no less. Today, just a campground sits in this former mining town. In the winter, this is all the further the road is open, so you won't be able to reach Animas Forks. The road is an easy 3.6 miles to its end at former Lake Emma, which sits below the Sunnyside Saddle. You will pass a lot of mining history along this route, just as you do along most of the other roads in the region. The Sunnyside Mine was located below Lake Emma, and buildings were constructed along its shores, but only some foundations are left today. In June of 1978, the lake was drained prematurely, as a tunnel some 90 feet below the lake was being excavated and gave way, which flooded Cement Creek on the other side of the mountain near Gladstone, via the American Tunnel. For a bit more of this significant event, here is a picture of an information sign (137 KB) in Gladstone that provides the details. |
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