Guanella Pass Road
Geneva City Townsite, CO

The Geneva City Townsite was built in the late 1870s to serve the mines at the head of Geneva Creek and the smelter at Smelter Gulch. The road was first constructed as a wagon route, and today the road serves mountain bikers and four-wheel drive vehicles. At the parking area at Smelter Gulch (Shelf Lake), you can access a trailhead that goes to an ore smelter. The last few miles to the townsite are very rocky and only high clearance vehicles and experienced bike riders are recommended here. Once at the site, however, fields of Colorado columbines and a spectacular view of the valley are the reward. Historic mills and cabins still stand in the area, reminding visitors of the early mining days.