Corkscrew Gulch is the first leg of a 3-trail excursion we have done twice several years apart. It begins about 8 miles south of Ouray. California Gulch trail is a continuation of the first leg, ending at Animas Forks ghost town. From there, the Alpine Loop trail heads east on the north side of the loop to Lake City, and then back to Animas Forks and on to Ouray.
The first time we did this excursion, we packed it into one day, and it way was too much in such a short period of time. Even with leaving early in the morning, I felt rushed trying to get back to the highway before dark. The second time, we planned an overnight in Lake City. That was a much better plan, although we still would have liked to have explored side roads much more.
Map of the Ouray-based trails.
