A Guide to Colorado’s Ghost Towns
Because Colorado's early years were essentially the product of a mining boom, the history of the state includes a lot of small towns that have since been abandoned. What were once thriving communities have, for the most part, been left behind, leaving memories and, often, some old, uninhabitable structures.
Colorado is full of these ghost towns and they come in all varieties. Keep scrolling to learn about and check out over 30 of them.
A Guide to Colorado's Ghost Towns: Silver Towns
If you've spent any time learning about Colorado's history, you've likely come across information regarding some of the towns that were the direct products of the silver boom.
Some of these ghost towns that were born from silver mining include Gothic, Bonanza, Rosita, and Russell Gulch. Of course, once the silver mining boom had gone away, so did the towns.
A Guide to Colorado's Ghost Towns: The Old West
Many of Colorado's ghost towns have roots in the wild west and were once home to things like saloons. Some of these ghost towns include Vicksburg, Caribou, and Teller City, which was home to a whopping 27 saloons in its heyday.
Can I Visit these Colorado Ghost Towns?
While the very nature of ghost towns is the state of being abandoned, some of them not only allow, but encourage visitors.
For example, one of the largest ghost towns in Colorado history is Ashcroft, which encourages tourism, and you can also walk around the towns of Independence, Nevada City, Silver Plume, and Victor, although it's important to check with local laws to determine whether or not you can enter the buildings.
On the other hand, some of these ghost towns like Gilman are strictly off-limits and after you take a virtual tour below, you'll see why.
Keep scrolling to check out a comprehensive guide to the ghost towns of Colorado:
A Guide to Colorado's Ghost Towns
Gallery Credit: Nate Wilde
11 Colorado Ghost Towns that are Shells of their Former Selves
Gallery Credit: Nate Wilde
Explorers Claim this Secret Ghost Town is the Largest in Colorado
Gallery Credit: Nate Wilde