The following directions revised 2018 per Eddie Mack and edited by us from a Sept. 2020 visit.
From the east end of the town of Silverton, where the main, paved road splits, go straight on CR110 that heads up to the Silverton Ski area and Gladstone and make your way toward the cemetery. The paved road will curve around the town park, then will make a sharp turn to the left as it heads uphill. On that sharp curve, drive straight onto a dirt road that heads for the town cemetery. Just before a small building at the cemetery entrance, turn left onto another dirt road and follow it up a couple hundred yards to where it ends at a pond and some buildings that are part of the Silverton water supply. There will be a green painted metal gate across a road that heads east. You'll see a sign here for "La Chappelle" Park. Park in this vicinity. On weekends, you may have to park farther down the road near the cemetery. Accessing Boulder Gulch from County Road 2 and the tailings at the Mayflower Mill is no longer allowed. The above road, which cars are apparently not allowed on any more, heads ENE from the gate near some utility lines. Follow that road east for about a mile to a locked gate at 9,600 ft. elevation. This will be WNW and above the Mayflower Mill tailings. If by some chance this last mile of road is accessible to vehicles, there is only enough parking room here for about three vehicles. This last section of road is not rough or steep, but a higher clearance vehicle is desirable because of mud-filled ruts. This road does not show on the USGS map, the FS2016 map or Trails Illustrated. It can be easily seen on Google Earth. Once you reach Boulder Gulch, you will need to find a way across the creek to join the trail that heads up the gulch.
There is no legal camping in the immediate vicinity. If in need of a camp spot for the night, try driving farther up along the Animas to around Howardsville where a large open, rock-strewn field has become the summer domain of a multitude of RV's, campers, etc. This is across from the Maggie Gulch road and a vault toilet. There's a few campsites in the trees by the creek near the toilet. Or, north of Silverton on HWY550, drive up along the South Fork of Mineral Creek road and search out an at-large spot. Summer competition for campsites, especially on weekends, makes finding a quiet, private spot difficult. You can find additional camping possibilities to the south at Molas Lake and Little Molas Lake.