Black Swift Trail
A River Runs Through it
It’s been called “the coolest bird”: a bizarre creature which cannot perch on a branch or a wire, but can only cling to vertical surfaces-which spends its days so high in the air that it can rarely be seen from the ground-and which builds its nest so close to waterfalls that a fledgling’s first flight may actually be the first time its feathers are dry. The Black Swift is legendarily difficult to observe, but in summer, here in the heart of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, a sighting is virtually guaranteed. Also guaranteed are heart-stopping views of some of Colorado’s grandest peaks and most impressive waterfalls, as well as hospitality in quaint mining towns that haven’t lost their character, and vast tracts of alpine forest and tundra to explore. This is the Colorado that you came for, and it won’t disappoint.
Sites on this Trail
- Haviland Lake State Wildlife Area
- Durango Mountain Resort Ski Area and Sig Creek
- Old Lime Creek Road
- Spud (Potato) Lake
- Cascade Creek
- Coal Bank Pass
- Andrews Lake
- Little Molas Lake
- Molas Lake
- Silverton
- Animas River – North
- South Mineral Creek
- Ophir Pass Road (FR 679)
- Red Mountain Pass
- Camp Bird Road
- Ouray
- Pleasant Valley