COLORADO GHOST TOWNS SCARE UP SOME GREAT SCENERY
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The ghost town of Dearfield is preserved at the Black American West Museum - Photo courtesty of Denver Metro CVB
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Some of Colorado's most interesting and most scenic towns are missing one key ingredient: people. Colorado's ghost towns make for fascinating exploration, as well as terrific photos, and many of them are quite accessible in summer. Almost every one has something else going for it: spectacular scenery. Here are a few of the state's most accessible ghost towns where there are still buildings to see. Be careful. Many of the abandoned buildings are unsafe to enter, and many are privately owned or protected by a local or state historical society. Taking souvenirs is strictly prohibited. Take all the photos you like, though.
St. Elmo, Vicksburg, Winfield
One of the state's more accessible ghost towns is St. Elmo, west of Buena Vista. It's also one of the best preserved sites, looking like a town out of an old Western movie. The nearby Mary Murphy mine produced millions of dollars in gold before closing in 1926. A few people still live here today. There's even a little store where you can buy a soda or snack. Among the 24 buildings that still stand are private homes, a mercantile and courthouse, some dating back to the town's origins in 1879. To get there, take U.S. 285 south from Buena Vista to County Road 162 and follow it west for 19 miles.
North of Buena Vista, you'll find two more ghost towns, both accessible by most vehicles. From U.S. 24 at Granite, go west on County Road 390 to Vicksburg. With a handful of existing buildings, it's maintained as a museum by a local historical society. A little farther on, you'll come to Winfield, where not much remains but the ghosts of disappointed miners. It went boom and bust in about three years.
Goldfield
The incredibly productive Portland Mine was the reason this town came to exist in the late 1800s, but unlike nearby Victor and Cripple Creek, it didn't survive the final bust. A union town with 3,000 citizens at its peak, it relied on the mine for jobs. Today, only remains of a few buildings can be seen, but very easily - right from the highway (County Road 81, about a mile north of Victor) that goes by it.
Ohio City, Pitkin, Tincup
Several prime ghost towns lie northeast of Gunnison. From town, take U.S. 50 east to Parlin, where you'll take Quartz Creek Road north. First you'll come to Ohio City, where a few folks still live. It went boom and bust several times. Of the many remaining buildings, you'll find a city hall and a number of private homes.
Pitkin, established as a mining camp in the 1870s, has one of the largest collections of still-standing buildings of any ghost town in the state. Some folks even have turned some of the old houses into summer cabins. A church, store and a number of private homes make a picturesque photo for visitors. But don't trespass; many of these are privately owned.
Tincup, which also has a number of surviving buildings, was one of the more rowdy of the mining towns. Sheriffs didn't last very long here, it's said. But you'll want to linger a little to soak up the atmosphere.
Independence, Ashcroft
Independence is one of the most accessible ghost towns in summer. The highway (CO 82, from Aspen) actually goes through what remains of town - which is quite a bit. Unfortunately, its altitude (almost 11,000 feet) made it inaccessible most of the year. Even today, nearby Independence Pass is closed about nine months of the year.
The Aspen Historical Society looks after Ashcroft, also near Aspen, and its nine remaining buildings, including an outhouse. Once home to two newspapers, 20 saloons, a school and many private homes, the town - like most of Colorado's ghosts - faded when the mining boom played out. To get there, take Castle Creek Road about 10 miles south of town.
Dearfield
The only all-black settlement in Colorado was situated on the eastern plains in the town of Dearfield, east of Greeley. More than 700 African Americans settled here in the early 1900s, but the town died during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl years. Three buildings still stand: a gas station, a diner and the founder's home. Long neglected, attempts to preserve the site are now being undertaken by the Black American West Museum in Denver, with help from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Colorado Historical Society. To get there, take CO 34 east of Greeley about 25 miles and watch for the sign.
Contact:
For information on Colorado's ghost towns, go to www.coloradoghosttowns.com or www.ghosttowns.com/states/co/colinks for links to several sites.
