Ghost Towns of Colorado (A-H)

County: Park
Zip Code: 80420
Latitude / Longitude: 39°17′09″N 106°03′59″W
Elevation: 10,361 ft (3,158 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established: December 2nd 1873
Disestablished:
Comments: The small town of Alma is home to much silver in the late 1800’s. There are many people with a similar name here such as “Alma” and some dispute over whether or not this city gets its name from one person but I think you’ll agree that there is plenty for all those Almas living out on these rough streets! One memorable event happened when a Mexican drove his flock into nearby Bucksin Joe: he came down sick shortly thereafter due to smallpox and died shortly after. A dancehall girl named Silverheels helped nurse many of the sick back to health when no one else would. She too came down with a virus that ended up spreading throughout this small town and people took money out of their pockets just so she could get some food, water, or medical care for herself before they all disappeared into thin air.
Remains:
Current Status: As of the census of 2000, there were 179 people, 94 households, and 40 families residing in the town.
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Animas Forks, CO

County: San Juan
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 37°55′51″N 107°34′3″W / 37.93083°N 107.56750°W / 37.93083
Elevation: 11,200 ft (3,414 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
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Comments: Animas Forks is a ghost town located twelve miles (19 km) northeast of Silverton in San Juan County, Colorado, United States. The area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Remains: The town’s first log cabin was built in 1873 and by 1876 the community had become a bustling mining community. At that time the town contained 30 cabins, a hotel, a general store, a saloon, and a post office. By 1883 450 people lived in Animas Forks and in 1882 a newspaper, the Animas Forks Pioneer, began publication and lasted until October 1886. Every fall the residents of Animas Forks migrated en masse to the warmer town of Silverton. In 1884 a 23-day blizzard inundated the town with 25 feet (7.6 m) of snow, the residents had to dig tunnels to get from building to building. Mining, speculation, and processing mills helped Animas Forks grow.
Current Status: The site continues as a tourist attraction. A Colorado State Historical Fund grant to San Juan County, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, provided for stabilization of the remaining structures in 1997 and 1998. The nine standing buildings within the Townsite have been stabilized and restored, repairing floors, walls, windows, and doors, to secure the envelope of each building. Cedar shingle roof sheathing has been restored on several of the buildings along with structural repairs and improvements to the drainage around the structures and across the site. The jail structure, the oldest building on the site, has had its gable roof reconstructed as part of the second phase of the project along with new interpretive signage installed in 2014.
Remarks: When mining profits began to decline investment in Animas Forks was no longer justified. Although mining made a brief 1904 rebound with the construction of the Gold Prince Mill the town’s mining days were nearing an end. A rail line ran through the area and stimulated interest in mining in the community again but the railroad never reached its expectations. The Gold Prince Mill closed in 1910 and in 1917 most of the mill’s major parts were removed for a new facility in Eureka. The mill’s dismantling signaled the beginning of the end for Animas Forks. The town was a ghost town by the 1920s.

Arapahoe, CO

County: Cheyenne
Zip Code: 80802
Latitude / Longitude: *39°46′30″N 105°10′42″W / 39.77500°N 105.17833°W / 39.77500
Elevation: 4,009 ft (1,222 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established: 1859
Disestablished:
Comments: Arapahoe is an unincorporated community and U.S. Post Office in Cheyenne County, Colorado, United States. The ZIP Code of the Arapahoe Post Office is 80802.
Remains: The first town of Arapahoe was established in 1859 in Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory (present-day Jefferson County, Colorado); see Arapahoe, Colorado (ghost town).
Current Status: The town eventually withered, but Arapahoe was reestablished at the present site in 1870. The second Arapahoe Post Office opened on May 5, 1910.
Remarks:

Ashcroft, CO

County:
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 39°3′16″N 106°47′52″W / 39.05444°N 106.79778°W / 39.05444
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established: 1879
Disestablished:
Comments: Ashcroft, originally known as Castle Forks City then Chloride until 1882, was a mining town located ten miles (16 km) south of Aspen, Colorado, United States. A few buildings remain standing as a testament to the town’s past.
Remains: In the spring of 1880 two prospectors, Charles B. Culver and W.F. Coxhead left the mining boomtown of Leadville in search of silver deposits in the Castle Creek Valley. Silver was found and Coxhead promoted their discovery with zeal back in Leadville. When he returned to “Castle Forks City,” as it had been dubbed, he found that 23 other prospectors had joined “Crazy Culver.” Together the men formed a Miners’ Protective Association, built a courthouse, and laid out the streets in Ashcroft in just two weeks. Each of their association’s members paid $5, or one day’s work, and $1, to draw for building lots. In all, there were 97 members in the Ashcroft Miners’ Protective Association.
Current Status: By 1885 there were only 100 summer residents and $5.60 in the town coffers. By the turn of the 20th century, only a handful of aging, single men lived in Ashcroft. Though they all owned mining claims they spent most of their time fishing and hunting or reading and drinking in a local bar. The men traded stories for drinks and served as an informal employment agency, matching up men with the sporadic remaining work at the mines. Every four years the remaining citizens would hold municipal elections and choose officers from amongst themselves. The town’s last resident, Jack Leahy, died in 1939, making Ashcroft an official ghost town.
Remarks: The town was renamed Ashcroft in 1882 after a rich ore strike was uncovered in Montezuma and Tam O’Shanter Mines. The mines were partially owned by H.A.W. Tabor of Leadville mining fame. Reportedly, Tabor and his second wife visited Ashcroft in 1883 and hosted a grand ball and banquet. Tabor also reportedly bought rounds of drinks for everyone in each of the town’s 13 saloons.

Autobees, CO

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Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
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Bailey, CO

County: Park
Zip Code: 80421
Latitude / Longitude: 39°24′18″N 105°28′20″W
Elevation: 7,739 ft (2,359 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established: November 20, 1878
Disestablished:
Comments: Coney Island has a long, interesting history. Not only did it start out as an ranch by Ann and William Bailey but they also built a stage station there in 1864. Soon after that the railroad went through town in 1878 which meant people could conveniently travel from one side of New York to another using this mode of transportation while enjoying some entertainment along its route like arcade games or arcades. Then just 10 years later we have mention on record for yet another first here: The Boardwalk of Coney Island was birthed at Denver Beach Park where it stood until being moved over 75+ years ago.
Remains: The town community consists of several small businesses, restaurants, and churches.
Current Status:
Remarks: Bailey was referenced four times in South Park; in a season 6 episode parodying The Lord of the Rings, season 9 in “Bloody Mary”, in a season 12 episode entitled “Britney’s New Look” and season 23 episode 3 “SHOTS!!!”

Bakerville, CO

Bassick City, CO

County: Custer
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 38°07’34N 105°20’04W
Elevation: 8,986 ft (2,739 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
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Comments: Querida (also called Bassick City) is a ghost town in Custer County, Colorado, United States. The town was built to serve the surrounding silver mines, the most important of which was the Bassick mine. Querida is Spanish for “beloved.”
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Bijou Basin, CO

Black Bear Mines (Road), CO

County:
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 37°53.9717′N 107°44.5783′W
Elevation: 12,840 feet (3,910 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: This is NOT a ghost town but a dirt road that starts at the summit of 11,018 ft (Red Mountain Pass on Highway 550 to Telluride, CO. This road crests at Black Bear Pass with an elevation of 12,840 ft.
Remains: A few remnants of the mines and the aerial tramways.
Current Status:
Remarks: The dangerous pass in Colorado is known as the most notable one, not only for its location but also for how challenging it can be. The road goes between Telluride and Ouray where you will find many scenic views that make up for any possible danger on this winding route through nature’s beauty. The roads to the pass are marked with signs for drivers who want a little adventure. This high elevation route starts out as one intersection in Wyoming but quickly becomes two separate highways after that point – Highway 550 on your left and Interstate 90/US 410 access road (the southbound direction) further ahead of you, which has its own set signages about where turns will be made once they diverge from each other at 12,800 ft above sea level.

Black Hawk, CO

County: Gilpin
Zip Code: 80403, 80422
Latitude / Longitude: 39°48′04″N 105°29′21″W
Elevation: 8,537 ft (2,602 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established: June 12, 1886
Disestablished:
Comments: In May 1859, the discovery of gold by John H Gregory in his hometown’s Gregory Gulch brought thousands to this area. Prospectors and miners combed hillsides for more veins which led them into hardrock mining booms followed by busts. They exhausted shallow parts containing free gold with amalgamation mills unable to recover anything from deeper sulfide ores like those found at Bobtail Lode. A few years later, people started coming back when silver was discovered nearby but it wasn’t until 1880 before we saw another incredibly prosperous year thanks largely due to increased demand.
Remains:
Current Status: The historic City of Black Hawk is a home rule municipality located in Gilpin County, Colorado. The city population was 127 at the 2020 United States Census.
Remarks: The town of Black Hawk has been in heated competition for gambling revenue with its neighbor Central City since casinos opened both towns in 1991. Development down Clear Creek from the historic center lining State Highway 119 has flourished as well, making it an attractive destination to visitors who are looking to spend their money on a fun day trip or evening out. The casinos in Blackhawk are an attraction for gamblers who pass through Denver before coming to Central City. As a result, they’ve realized much higher revenue than what is seen at the more famous casino next door – and with less restrictive zoning codes also comes another opportunity: buildings being allowed closer together so that noise isn’t as bad or restricted development potential not just because of height but also traffic flow since there’s no limit on how high things can go.

Brodhead, CO

County: Las Animas
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 37° 24′ 41.04 N, 104° 40′ 36.95 W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
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Comments: Brodhead is a ghost town in Las Animas County, Colorado, United States.
Remains: The townsite is about 2.25 miles (3.6 km) north of Aguilar on the western side of Interstate 25 approximately 18 miles (29 km) north of the town of Trinidad. Nearby points of interest include the Ludlow Monument, a monument to the coal miners and their families who were killed in the 1914 Ludlow Massacre.
Current Status: Brodhead was a mining town built and owned by a company formed by three brothers: Henry C. Brodhead (President) who was married to the author Eva Wilder Brodhead, Albert G. Brodhead (Vice President), and Robert S. Brodhead (Secretary and General Manager) and operated between the late 1890s and the mid-1960s. The Brodhead brothers had previously operated a mine in Gonzales Canyon between 1896 and 1899. Initially, the town was built as a company town
Remarks: The population was a mix of Mexican and European immigrants. Some of the miners are known to have come from Stafford, England.

Buckskin Joe (Laurette, Lauret), CO

County: Park
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 39° 17′ 35 N, 106° 5′ 17 W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
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Comments: Buckskin Joe, also called Laurette or Lauret, is a deserted ghost town in Colorado, United States. It was an early mining town, and the county seat of Park County, Colorado.
Remains: The area was first settled by Americans in 1859 during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, when gold was discovered along Buckskin Creek, on the east side of the Mosquito Range. At the time of its first settlement, the town was in the western part of Kansas Territory. The town was formally organized in September 1860 and named Laurette, a contraction of the first names of the only two women in the camp, the sisters Laura and Jeanette Dodge. But it was always more popularly known as Buckskin Joe, after Joseph Higginbottom, an early trapper, and prospector. Little is known for certain about Higginbottom. Some accounts refer to him as an African-American; some accounts say that he was the one who first discovered gold in the vicinity of the town.
Current Status: The placer and vein gold deposits were rich but were quickly exhausted. By 1866, the town was reported to be deserted, and the courthouse building was moved down the valley to the new county seat of Fairplay. In the late 1950s, Horace Tabor’s general store was dismantled, hauled away, and reassembled at the tourist attraction and movie set also called Buckskin Joe, 70 miles (110 km) away from the original site.
Remarks: Mining shifted to rich hard rock deposits in the Phillips lode and other veins. By 1861, when the Laurette/Buckskin Joe Post Office opened, in the newly formed Colorado Territory, the town boasted two hotels, fourteen stores, and a bank. On January 7, 1862, the county seat of Park County moved to Buckskin Joe from Tarryall, now also a ghost town. At its peak, the town was credited with a population of 5,000, but historian Robert L. Brown considers this number far too large.

Calumet, CO

County: Huerfano
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 37° 41′ 34.04 N, 104° 51′ 34.96 W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
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Disestablished:
Comments: Calumet is a former mining town founded in 1904, near the portal of the Calumet Coal Mine complex. Calumet is now a ghost town in Huerfano County, Colorado, United States, northwest of Walsenburg. One of the mines, Calumet No. 2, was briefly owned by Henry J. Kaiser and maintained by Kaiser Steel between 1924 and 1971.
Remains: Although small even for an underground coal mine, in 1961, the Calumet Mine was the county’s leading producer. The name Calumet refers to a type of ceremonial pipe. The hamlet never did grow large enough to have its own post office and was abandoned by the 1970s.
Current Status: A fictionalized version of Calumet, Colorado, not as a tiny ghost town but as a fairly vibrant community with a substantial population, was depicted in the 1984 war film, Red Dawn. Calumet is the movie’s central setting. This created town of Calumet was chosen to be the film’s central location so that it could be related to almost anywhere in the US, an ambiguous American township with deliberately vague landmarks and names. This town was originally to be Calumet, Michigan but due to the isolated location of Calumet, Michigan, it made more sense to base it in a central state, like Colorado. The choice of Calumet, Michigan was made by a producer who came from the area of Calumet, Michigan.
Remarks: Red Dawn was actually filmed in the town of Las Vegas, New Mexico, the “stand-in” for the fictionalized version of Calumet.

Capitol City, CO

County: Hinsdale
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 38°00′26″N 107°28′00″W / 38.00722°N 107.46667°W / 38.00722
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Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
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Comments: Capitol City is a ghost town in Hinsdale County, Colorado, on the Alpine Loop National Scenic Back Country Byway.
Remains: Capitol City was founded in 1877 and once had a population of 400. Its founders wanted it to become the capital of Colorado.
Current Status: The post office, some outbuildings, and brick kilns remain.
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Caribou, CO

County: Boulder
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 39° 58′ 51 N, 105° 34′ 43 W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
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Comments: Caribou is a former silver-mining town, now a ghost town near Nederland in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. It was named after the Caribou silver mine nearby. The Caribou Ranch recording studio is several miles away, on the road from Nederland up to Caribou.
Remains: A prospector named Conger discovered placer gold downstream from Caribou in 1861. He eventually followed the gold up Coon Trail Creek and discovered the first silver vein in what later became the Caribou district.
Current Status: Caribou and its silver mines were completely deserted by the time 19-year-old geology student Tom Hendricks saw it in 1970, but Hendricks became convinced that the silver mines at Caribou could make a profit and has made the mines his life work. After he got his geology degree, he acquired the old Cross mine in 1973 and began shipping silver concentrate in 1977. He acquired the famous Caribou mine in 1980. He has struggled to keep the Cross and Caribou mines operating through low silver prices in recent years.
Remarks: Caribou was established about 1870 to house miners from the Caribou silver mine.:51 The town had one church, three saloons, a brewery, and its own newspaper, the Caribou Post. The Caribou mine was sold for $3 million in 1871 to Dutch investors, but the new owners found that the best ore had already been removed. The mine struggled until 1876, when controversial Colorado entrepreneurs Jerome B. Chaffee and David Moffat bought the mine, incorporated it, and sold shares in New York. A fire burned down the town in 1879. By the 1920s, Caribou was home to fewer than 50 people. At its peak in 1875, Caribou’s population was estimated to be about 3,000 people.

Carpenter, CO

County: Mesa
Zip Code:
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Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
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Comments: Carpenter is a ghost town in Mesa County, Colorado, United States, twelve miles northeast of Grand Junction at the end of an extension to 27¼ Road. The settlement was established by William Thomas Carpenter early in 1890 to provide the miners who worked in his two Book Cliff mines with a place to live. He began building shacks to house his single miners and later erected small houses for the employees with families.
Remains: As a result of the town’s rapid growth, a request to the U.S. post office to establish a branch there in June 1890 was quickly obliged and the community was officially dubbed Carpenter. However, the town never attained a population of over 50, and the post office closed its doors after only a year. After the closure of its post office, Carpenter built a company store and a combination boarding house/restaurant. Book Cliff company stone cutters and masons constructed several buildings and many foundations at Carpenter, using stone from the company quarry near the cliffs. One of the finest examples of a building made of Book Cliff sandstone is the Fruita, Colorado Catholic church. Several years of prosperity followed the arrival of the Little Book Cliff Railway at the townsite in 1892. Carpenter began to formulate big plans for his village. He envisioned it as a tourist resort complete with a hotel, dance pavilion, picnic areas, and even a lake that was to be fed by a spring located near his Book Cliff mines.
Current Status: The old eating house, referred to as the Hotel de Carpenter on occasion, was converted into a school and church for the camp’s inhabitants, and many company structures were rebuilt and improved during Wyman’s tenure as owner. The new name Book Cliff was applied to the town but did not adhere any better than did Poland Springs. Usually, people referred to the place as the “Book Cliff Mines.” The town reached its zenith and then began a gradual decline following Wyman’s death in 1910. In his will, Wyman left the town, railroad, and mines to Princeton University. Princeton managed everything for 15 years then decided to abandon it all in 1925. By the end of that summer nearly everything had been sold, dismantled, and hauled away.
Remarks: Carpenter renamed the camp Poland Spring after a noted resort of that name in Maine. It was variously referred to as Polen, Pollen, and Polan Springs, despite the fact that Carpenter’s intended name as evidenced by his having it emblazoned on the side of one of his railroad excursion cars. The resort plans were never completed because Carpenter went broke shortly after the Panic of 1893. Isaac Chauncey Wyman, a wealthy Massachusetts investor, became the next owner of the Book Cliff company. The town continued to enjoy an active existence because he did much to improve the mines and thus created a need for additional employees.

Carrizo City, CO

Carrizo Springs, CO

Central City, CO

County: Gilpin
Zip Code: 80427
Latitude / Longitude: 39°47′45″N 105°30′53″W
Elevation: 8,510 ft (2,594 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established: June 12, 1886
Disestablished:
Comments: In the mid-1800s, Central City became known as “the richest square mile on Earth.” During its first fifty years of existence, over 150 mining stamps were issued and many more mines came into operation. By 1865 there were 30 thousand people living in this gold-rich area with winter census numbers ranging from 1500 – 2100 people per month.
Remains:
Current Status: As of the census of 2000, there were 515 people, 261 households, and 101 families residing in the city.
Remarks: With a history stretching back centuries, Central City has weathered many storms. It’s only natural that when the area was hit hard with depression in 1885 it took more than five years for a business to reach pre-Depression levels again! The town survived though and during those good old days of mining prosperity from the 1870s through the 1980s this little Colorado ghost town became known far & wide as an example of how things used to be done – or at least should’ve been done if you ask some experts who lived here back then.

Chihuahua, CO

Chivington, CO

County: Kiowa
Zip Code: 8136
Latitude / Longitude: 38°26′12″N 102°32′32″W / 38.43667°N 102.54222°W / 38.43667
Elevation: 3,891 ft (1,186 m
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Chivington is an unincorporated community in Kiowa County, Colorado, United States. The U.S. Post Office at Eads (ZIP Code 81036) now serves Chivington postal addresses.
Remains: Chivington was named for the Reverend John Chivington, a colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War, who was celebrated as the hero of the 1862 Battle of Glorieta Pass and commanded the 700 Union soldiers who perpetrated the Sand Creek massacre, a slaughter of Native Americans in a nearby gulch. The massacre was condemned by the United States Congress Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War and Territorial Governor John Evans lost his job for encouraging Chivington.
Current Status: A few newer homes are still occupied in Chivington, but the town consists mostly of a few abandoned but still-standing ruins, more partially collapsed buildings (the former schoolhouse degrades, year-by-year), and many piles of bricks mark where the town once stood. Standard green highway markers (“Chivington”) identify what these ruins once were. The post office existed into the 1980s but nearby Eads today offers the nearest postal service and amenities like stores and gas stations. Lamar is the closest remaining “significant” town on Colorado’s eastern plains. Chivington appears to be returning, like much of eastern Colorado, to its sparse grassland and prairie land origins. One of the former town’s buildings contains a ghost sign asking for Chivington citizens to vote for a man named Jan King, who ran for the office of Kiowa County clerk. The famous TransAmerica Cycling Trail passes through Chivington and is frequented by hundreds of cyclists annually.
Remarks: Chivington (est. 1887) was one of several railroad towns in Kiowa County on eastern Colorado’s plains along the Missouri Pacific Railroad line, and in the late 19th century, eastern Colorado had a lot of agriculture and related commerce. Railroad workers also briefly contributed to the local economy as the Missouri Pacific extended into Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Palmer Lake, and eventually brought service into Denver. As new towns along this railroad line formed, they were named alphabetically, which might explain why “Chivington” was chosen—with the massacre site only about 9 miles away, “C” brought the name “Chivington” to mind. And in Colorado, the massacre was not as infamous as in the rest of the nation.

Climax, CO

County: Lake
Zip Code: 80429
Latitude / Longitude: 39°21′57″N 106°11′09″W / 39.36583°N 106.18583°W / 39.36583
Elevation: 3,463 m (11,360 ft)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Climax was an unincorporated mining village and a former U.S. Post Office located in Lake County, Colorado, United States.
Remains: Climax is known for its large molybdenum ore deposit. Climax is located along the Continental Divide at an elevation of about 11,360 feet (3465 meters). It was the highest human settlement in the United States, and it holds the record for having had the country’s second-highest Post Office and the highest railroad station. The residential houses were all transported to the West Park subdivision of Leadville, Colorado, before 1965, leaving only the mining buildings standing.
Current Status: The village of Climax is now considered to be a ghost town. The former Colorado & Southern Railway line from Leadville is now operated as a tourist line by Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad. The line stops at an overview of the Climax Molybdenum Mine and Fremont Pass. Climax is also a destination for automobile tourists, bicyclists, and photographers, but lacking commercial enterprise, the location is not well advertised.
Remarks: After a 17-year shutdown, the Climax mine has reopened and resumed shipment of molybdenum on May 10, 2012. Climax’s reason for being is its huge deposit of molybdenum ore. The Climax mine was the largest molybdenum mine in the world, and for many years it supplied three-fourths of the world’s supply of the metal. Over the years it evolved from “at times the largest underground mine in the world,” into a pit mine.

Coalmont, CO

County: Jackson
Zip Code: 80430
Latitude / Longitude: 40°33′43″N 106°26′44″W / 40.56194°N 106.44556°W / 40.56194
Elevation: 8,215 ft (2,504 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Coalmont is an unincorporated community and U.S. Post Office in Jackson County, Colorado, United States. The Coalmont Post Office has the ZIP Code 80430. The area is named for the strip mine located there, soft coal was shipped out on the Union Pacific Coalmont branch to the mainline at Laramie, Wy.
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Colfax, CO

County: Custer
Zip Code:
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Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established: 1870
Disestablished:
Comments: Colfax was a short-lived communal farming community — now a ghost town — in Custer County, Colorado, United States. It was named after Vice President Schuyler Colfax.
Remains: Colfax was founded in 1870 as a communal settlement of 397 German immigrants led by General Carl Wulsten. It was the first non-indigenous community in what is now Custer County, Colorado. The principal activities were farming and cheesemaking. The communal effort failed and the settlers left the town. However, many of the settlers remained in the area as ranchers and farmers.
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Copper City, CO

Creede, CO

County: Mineral
Zip Code: 81130
Latitude / Longitude: 37°50′57″N 106°55′31″W
Elevation: 8,799 ft (2,682 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established: 1892
Disestablished:
Comments: Creede was the last silver boom town in Colorado during its 19th-century height. The population of 600 inhabitants lept up over 10,000 people within just two years time span from 1889 to 1891. Creed’s mines were active until 1985, served by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. It wasn’t always this way as there had been other smaller mining camps before that, like Jim Town, which also existed below along West Willow Creek near its junction point where Holy Moses Mine wielded preeminence among those sites vying for attention. At one point, later becoming known locally, simply enough, under their original name then it was renamed after Nicholas C Creede who discovered the Holy Moses Mine.
Remains:
Current Status: As of the census of 2000, there were 377 people, 181 households, and 106 families residing in the town. As of the 2020 US census, there are 223 left in the town.
Remarks: The San Juan Mountains have played a critical role in developing the farming and ranching culture of Creede. The Rio Grande River, which flows through these mountains, with its headwaters near this city located at an elevation just over 5500 feet on Colorado’s Eastern slope, before continuing onward to New Mexico (some 180 miles downstream). The San Juans are home to some amazing scenery, including lush green pines forested mountainsides covered by snow year-round while hot springs bubble up. There are outlandishly beautiful gorges, and deep canyons richly veined marble bedrock rock formations, ancient forests, sacred Native American sites, protected wilderness areas, and wildlife you’ll never want to see any other way if you’re ever fortunate enough.

Cripple Creek, CO

County: Teller
Zip Code: 80813
Latitude / Longitude: 38°44′46″N 105°11′03″W
Elevation: 9,494 ft (2,894 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established: June 9, 1892
Disestablished:
Comments: The Cripple Creek area is not only a gold mining mecca but also home to some of Colorado’s most beautiful scenery. With so much wealth coming from this region, it would be hard for any visitor not want to explore what treasures await them here. Cripple Creek is a small town in Colorado that got its name due to an accident. A cattleman was building shelter close by and, while assisting with the construction project on June 2nd, 1874; his helper discharged a gun wounding another man who happened upon them. The excitement caused by this event frightened the calf which broke one leg jumping over the creek later became known as “Cripal” or cripples depending on how you look into its meaning.
Remains: What is it about Cripple Creek that keeps drawing people to the town? Is there something special in this old mining village? The answer may surprise you. The first thing to know about Colorado’s favorite ghost-town was its colorful past–it once had a population of 35,000! Memories linger from those days long ago when gold fever ran rampant through these parts and citizens willingly traded their homes for lives on foot or horseback traveling between mines (or gambling pits). There are still ruins left behind today.
Current Status: As of the census of 2000, there were 1,115 people, 494 households, and 282 families residing in the city.
Remarks: A major fire destroyed much of the city’s landmark buildings only days later in 1896. Despite this tragedy that took away so many homes and businesses at one time (especially since Blackhawk County had more than enough), both towns rebuilt again with help from legalized gambling which Colorado allowed them to access in the early 90s. The visitors can explore these historical areas today.

Crystal, CO

County: Gunnison
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 39°03’33N 107°06’04W
Elevation: 8,950 ft (2,728 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Crystal (also known as Crystal City) is a ghost town on the upper Crystal River in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. It is located in the Elk Mountains along a four-wheel-drive road 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Marble and 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Crested Butte. Crystal was a mining camp established in 1880 and after several decades of robust existence, was all but abandoned by 1917. Many buildings still stand in Crystal, but it’s few residents live there only in the summer.
Remains: Prospectors discovered promising deposits of silver near the confluence of the North Fork and South Fork of the Crystal River in 1880. Within months mining operations were underway and a new mining camp had emerged. A year later, on July 8, 1881, Crystal City was incorporated. At its height of prosperity in the mid-1880s, Crystal had over 500 residents, a post office, a newspaper (the Crystal River Current which was later replaced by The Silver Lance), a pool hall, the Crystal Club (a popular and exclusive men’s club), a barbershop, saloons, and hotels.
Current Status: Today Crystal is best known for one of the most photographed historic sites in Colorado, the Crystal Mill, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Gunnison County Road 3 connects Crystal to Marble. Much of the road is a rocky shelf road, suitable for a four-wheel drive only. Forest Road 317 (a.k.a. Gothic Road) connects Crystal to Crested Butte via Schofield Pass. It traverses the Devils Punchbowl, considered among the most dangerous four-wheel-drive trails in the state.
Remarks: Crystal is vacated in the winter but there are a few summer residents. The town does see visitors, most passing through to recreate in the area. The upper Crystal River Valley is nestled between two wilderness areas: the Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness to the north and the Raggeds Wilderness to the south. Photography, hiking, peak bagging, mountain biking, and four-wheel-drive and off-highway vehicle touring are common activities. Fly fishing and hunting (deer and elk) are also popular.

Dakan, CO

County: Douglas
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Dakan was a short-lived mining town, now a ghost town, in western Douglas County, Colorado, United States, in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.
Remains: The town was founded in 1896 by prospector William Wanner, who announced that he had made a shipment of ore worth $35 per ton in silver and gold from his claim, and the Castle Rock Journal declared “The future of Dakan is assured.”. By Christmas 1896, there were about 300 people in Dakan, and a United States post office opened in Dakan on December 30, 1896.
Current Status: In January 1897 Dakan was described as having eight buildings, including a hotel, restaurant, saloon, and grocery store, and contracts for five additional buildings as soon as lumber could be delivered. But the ore did not live up to the hopes of the prospectors and promoters. By August 1898 the post office was closed, and the town disappeared.
Remarks:

Dallas, CO

County: Ouray
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 38° 11′ 0 N, 107° 44′ 41 W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Dallas was a town in Ouray County, Colorado, United States. It lay about 3 miles (5 km) north of the present town of Ridgway at the confluence of Dallas Creek and the Uncompahgre River. A community named in tribute to the historic town bearing the name Dallas Meadows now exists at its historic location.
Remains: Dallas was founded in 1880 and named after the former Vice President of the United States, George M. Dallas, and was a stagecoach stop on a toll road that linked Montrose with Ouray. The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad reached Dallas in 1887 and Dallas was incorporated on 2 April 1889. The new town of Ridgway was founded a year later in 1890 and became the prominent town as Dallas slowly disappeared.
Current Status:
Remarks:

Decatur, CO

Dearfield, CO

County:
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 40°17′18″N 104°15′25″W / 40.28833°N 104.25694°W / 40.28833
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Dearfield is a ghost town and a historically black majority settlement in Weld County, Colorado, United States. It is 30 miles (48 km) east of Greeley. The town was formed by Oliver T. Jackson who desired to create a colony for African Americans. In 1910, Jackson, a successful businessman from Boulder, filed on the homestead that later became the town and began to advertise for “colonists.” The name Dearfield was suggested by one of the town’s citizens, Dr. J.H.P. Westbrook who was from Denver. The word dear was chosen as the foundation for the town’s name due to the precious value of the land and community to the town’s settlers.
Remains: The first settlers of Dearfield had great difficulty farming the surrounding pasture and endured several harsh seasons. However, by 1921, 700 people lived in Dearfield. The town’s net worth was appraised at $1,075,000. After several prosperous years, the Great Depression arrived and the town’s agricultural success significantly declined. Settlers began to leave Dearfield in order to find better opportunities. By 1940, the town population had decreased to 12, only 2% of the town’s 1921 population. Jackson desperately attempted to spur interest in the town, even offering it for sale. However, there was little interest in Dearfield. Jackson died on February 18, 1948.
Current Status: A few deserted buildings remain in Dearfield: a gas station, a diner, and the founder’s home. In 1998, Black American West Museum in Denver began to make attempts to preserve the town’s site. It is a Colorado Registered Historic Landmark. A 2010 monument next to one of the remaining buildings contains information about the history of the site.
Remarks: A 2001 state historical marker at U.S. Route 85 mile marker 264 near Evans, Colorado, includes a panel with the history of Dearfield.

Duncan, CO

County: Saguache
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 37° 52′ 27 N, 105° 36′ 52 W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Duncan, Colorado was a post office in Saguache County, Colorado about 8 miles south of Crestone, Colorado.
Remains: Duncan, Colorado was first founded in 1874 when John Duncan found gold ore in a nearby river. Other prospectors soon settled around his cabin, and by 1890 a town was established. The town was plotted by John Duncan, lots were sold, gold mines promoted, homes were built, businesses established, even a newspaper, The Duncan Eagle. At that point, he sold lots in town for $25 apiece. There was a post office at Duncan from November 21, 18922 to September 15, 1900. Mail came six days a week and served 250 residents of the area. A school district formed in 1893 to serve the community and the last classes were held in 1899.
Current Status: Only one house remains John Duncan’s cabin. The place, considered a ghost town, was on the Luis Maria Baca Grant No. 4 but is now within Rio Grande National Forest. In 2011, Duncan Cabin was renovated and is now able to be rented out to visitors.
Remarks: In 1900, George Adams purchased the Luis Maria Baca Grant No. 4, which allowed him to claim property and mineral rights. This caused the settlers to be considered squatters, and after a supreme court battle, settlers were pushed off the land. Settlers were paid $125 for each structure. Some of the residents of Duncan moved to a new townsite, just off the Grant property to the south, Liberty, Colorado.

Dyersville, CO

County: Summit
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 39° 25′ 14 N, 105° 59′ 2 W
Elevation: 10,879 feet (3 316 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Dyersville was a mining town — now a ghost town — in Summit County, Colorado, United States. It was named after Methodist minister John Lewis Dyer.
Remains: Methodist minister and prospector John Lewis Dyer, better known as “Father” Dyer, built a cabin in a secluded location along the upper reaches of Indiana Creek in January 1881. He was soon joined in his seclusion by miners and merchants connected to the nearby Warrior’s Mark mine. The community named itself after its first resident, Father Dyer.
Current Status: Nothing remains of the town except the roofless walls of a couple of log cabins.
Remarks:

Eastonville, CO

County: El Paso
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: *39°03′40″N 104°33′44″W / 39.06111°N 104.56222°W / 39.06111
Elevation: 7,234 ft (2,205 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Eastonville was a town in eastern Colorado from c. 1880-1935. It is no longer incorporated. The area in which it occupied is now taken over by urban sprawl from Colorado Springs. The former town limits now reside in El Paso County, in the Colorado Springs metro area, near Black Forest.
Remains: The area around Eastonville began settlement around 1872 when a post office was established a mile to the south of its eventual location on Squirrel Creek. The area was located in the Black Forest of Colorado and was found to be suitable for potato farming and many pioneers homesteaded in the vicinity. In 1881 the Denver and New Orleans Railroad (later the Colorado and Southern Railway) laid their tracks through the area and created a stop named “McConnellsville” near what is now Eastonville; this was the main standard gauge line from Colorado Springs to Denver until the 3-foot-gauge Denver and Rio Grande was 3-railed. Shortly after, in 1883, the area post office was moved north and named “Easton” for a local pioneer, John Easton. The town soon became Eastonville. At the behest of the railroad, the town moved a short distance to its current site.
Current Status: As the town died, the Eastonville school district was merged into the Peyton School District 23jt. Eastonville is, however, in the Falcon fire district.
Remarks: Eastonville continued as a stable town until the 1930s when drought and depression hit the west. In 1935 the area endured a potato blight and a flood which washed away many buildings in Elbert, the next town north on the railroad; the railroad was then abandoned. The town couldn’t recover without the railroad, especially since Peyton (6 miles away) still had the Rock Island railroad. Although little remains but a few buildings and the cemetery, as of May 2013 the United States Board on Geographic Names still lists Eastonville as a populated place.

Edgerton, CO

Eldora, CO

County: Boulder
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 39°56′57″N 105°34′18″W / 39.94917°N 105.57167°W / 39.94917
Elevation: 8,642 ft (2,634 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Eldora (pronounced el-DOH-ruh), previously known as “Eldorado” then “El-Dora”, then Eldora or Camp Eldorado, and is still called Happy Valley. is a census-designated place (CDP) in Southwest Boulder County, Colorado. The population was 142 at the 2010 census. The CDP of Eldora is more commonly referred to as a small town or village.
Remains: Eldora is located within the Roosevelt National Forest and is primarily a rural, densely forested, and sparsely populated area. Eldora is tucked into the valley carved by Middle Boulder Creek, from which there are views up toward the alpine ski runs of Eldora Mountain Resort. A one-time gold camp, Eldora was a shipping point for the Caribou silver mine in nearby Nederland, CO. At present, Eldora is characterized by small cabins, a sprinkling of vacation homes, and several long-shuttered mercantile.
Current Status: It peaked at the turn of the century but experienced a devastating wildfire in 1899. With much of its timber lost, lumber that was vital to the mining construction was in short supply. The 21st century has experienced a renewed interest in Eldora mining, with hopes of reopening the Mogul Tunnel Mine on Spencer Mountain.
Remarks: Points of interest near Eldora include the Eldora Mountain Resort, Eldora Historic District, and Indian Peaks Wilderness. Eldora Historic District has been listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places since 1989. The area is home to an abundance of wilderness and wildlife, including animals such as mountain lions, black bears, coyotes, red foxes, mule deer, elk, bobcats, and much more.

Eureka, CO

County: San Juan
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 37°52′47″N 107°33′54″W / 37.87972°N 107.56500°W / 37.87972 -107.56500
Elevation: 9,862 ft (3,006 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Eureka is a mining ghost town in San Juan County, Colorado, United States, along the Animas River, between Silverton and Animas Forks. The town derives its name from the Greek interjection Eureka!
Remains: By 1875, Eureka had a post office. The original mill was closed (reasons unknown) but to replace it, the Gold Prince Mill from Animas Forks was deconstructed and moved to the Eureka townsite to become the Sunnyside mill. In 1896, Eureka was connected to the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad via the Silverton Northern Railroad. Although the community grew steadily — not like a boomtown — it quickly declined after 1939, when the Sunnyside Mill closed for the last time.
Current Status: Today, the original townsite gravel roads remain, and debris litters the area. The only remaining structure is the Eureka jail, which has been restored. Foundations remain of the Sunnyside mill.
Remarks: Charles Baker’s group of prospectors found traces of placer gold in the San Juan Mountains in 1860 at Eureka. Forced by the Ute Tribe out in 1861, who had been awarded the area in a US treaty. The prospectors returned in 1871 when lode gold was found in the Little Giant vein at Arrastre Gulch near Silverton, Colorado. The miners were allowed to stay after the Brunot Treaty of 13 Sept. 1873. In exchange for giving up 4 million acres, the Southern Ute Indian Reservation received $25,000 per year.

Fairmount, CO

County: Jefferson
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 39° 47′ 33 N, 105° 10′ 16 W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Fairmount is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 7,559.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:

Fairplay, CO

County: Park
Zip Code: 80440
Latitude / Longitude: 39°13′28″N 105°59′53″W
Elevation: 9,953 ft (3,034 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established: 1859
Disestablished:
Comments: The town of Fairplay was founded in 1859 during the early days of Pike’s Peak Gold Rush. It’s named after those who felt cheated by how much land would be given away to prospectors, so they set out looking for more equitable systems that could benefit their community as well. The incorporation papers were signed on June 8th, 1870.
Remains:
Current Status: As of the census of 2000, there were 610 people, 259 households, and 169 families residing in the town.
Remarks: The largest community in the grassland basin of Colorado known as South Park sits on a hillside just east of where Highway 9 ascends upriver towards Alma and Hoosier Pass. It’s also near some old gold mines that continue to produce throughout much of the 20th century, making it such an interesting town. The community is on US Highway 285, next to where State Highways 9 enter from each direction; it sits at the junction between these two highways with Alma Pass connecting them both above as well below ground level via freight tunnels or bridges when needed.

Fondis, CO

County: Elbert
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 39° 12′ 57 N, 104° 20′ 50 W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Fondis is an unincorporated community in Elbert County, in the U.S. state of Colorado.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:

Francevillle, CO

Galena, CO

Geneva City, CO

Georgetown, CO

County: Clear Creek
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 39°42′45″N 105°41′45″W
Elevation: 8,530 ft (2,600 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established: 1859
Disestablished: November 16, 1885
Comments: Gold, silver, and lead mining were the economic backbone of Georgetown until 1878 when they lost out to Leadville. The town was relatively peaceful during this time though there were still undesirables who found their way into Georgetown’s borders without invitation or consent from locals- mainly seeking refuge from violence elsewhere in Colorado Territory at that point in history (most notably gold camps). Louis Du Puy’s Hotel De Paris could lay claim as not only being one of its most posh hotels west side of Mississippi River but also boast having some shady past too; once home to gunslingers & gamblers alike.
Remains:
Current Status: As of the census of 2000, there were 1,088 people, 503 households, and 278 families residing in the town.
Remarks: Du Puy, a man from France who had squandered his inheritance and came to Georgetown in order to recoup it. He bought the building at Alpine Street which would later become The Hotel DuPuy – an opulent establishment for its time as well as now with all of its ornate marble floors; this hotel was unequaled by any mining town that existed throughout what is known today westward out into Colorado on Highway 40 where one can find many shops catering specifically towards tourists’ needs such shopping or simply browsing through antique stores while filling up gas tanks if need be before continuing onwards towards Salt Lake City should they choose not to stop there first.

Gillette, CO

County: Teller
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Comments: Gillett, Colorado is a ghost town located near Cripple Creek in Teller County, Colorado, United States. It is famous for being the site of the only bullfight ever held in the US.
Established:
Disestablished:
Remains: Gillett was reportedly a family-friendly community and included several churches. The nearby mines contributed to the boom of the town. From 1895 to 1896, Gillett hosted a professional minor league baseball team that participated in the Colorado State League. In 1895, the only bullfight held in the US took place in Gillette. 50,000 people, some of the celebrities from the US and Mexico, attended. The bulls and bullfighters traveled to Gillett from Mexico; the trip possibly caused the bulls to become overtired and irritable. The bullfight soon turned into a riot. After the riot was quelled, the bulls were taken to slaughter, and their meat was given to the poor. During the first decade of the 1900s, the town began a slow decline and was completely or mostly abandoned by the 1940s.
Current Status: The only remnants of the city are small parts of a church’s walls (in the 1940s, only the roof had collapsed), located in what is now a hayfield to the west of the highway; the jail, located beside a few abandoned residential houses at a road bend; and a couple of fire hydrants.
Remarks: On June 16, 1965, a flash flood that delivered 14 inches of rain to the area between Pueblo and Denver flooded a small abandoned community dam above the valley where the town stood. The resulting flood washed away most of the town’s ruins.

Gilman, CO

County: Eagle
Zip Code: 81645
Latitude / Longitude: 39°31′58″N 106°23′33″W / 39.53278°N 106.39250°W / 39.53278
Elevation: 8,950 ft (2,728 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Gilman is an abandoned mining town in southeastern Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The U.S. Post Office at Minturn (ZIP Code 81645) now serves Gilman postal addresses.
Remains: Founded in 1886 during the Colorado Silver Boom, the town later became a center of lead and zinc mining in Colorado, centered on the now-flooded Eagle Mine. It was abandoned in 1984 by order of the Environmental Protection Agency because of toxic pollutants, including contamination of the groundwater, as well as unprofitability of the mines. It is currently a ghost town on private property and is strictly off-limits to the public. At the time of the abandonment, the mining operations were owned by Viacom International. As of 2007, The Ginn Company has plans to build a private ski resort with private home sites across Battle Mountain — including development at the Gilman townsite. On February 27, 2008, the Minturn Town Council unanimously approved annexation and development plans for 4,300 acres (17 km2) of Ginn Resorts’ 1,700-unit Battle Mountain residential ski and golf resort; Ginn’s Battle Mountain development includes much of the old Gilman townsite. On May 20, 2008, the town of Minturn approved the annexation in a public referendum with 87% of the vote. As of September 9, 2009, the Ginn Company has backed out of development plans for the Battle Mountain Property. Crave Real Estate Ventures who was the original finance to Ginn will now take over day-to-day operations of the property.
Current Status: The townsite is a victim of vandalization, and the town’s main street is heavily tagged. There are only a few intact windows left in town, as twenty years of vandalism have left almost every glass object in the town destroyed. However, many parts of the town are almost as they were when the mine shut down. The main shaft elevators still sit ready for ore cars, permanently locked at the top level. Several cars and trucks still sit in their garages, left behind by their owners. Because of its size, modernity, and level of preservation, the town is also the subject of interest for many historians, explorers, and photographers.
Remarks: In the 1880s, Clinton acquired a number of mining operations in the vicinity, including the profitable Iron Mask, noted for its numerous caverns with crystal formations. Clinton developed the area as a town and improved the mining operations with higher capitalization. The town, which Clinton developed in order to keep miners at the site, was initially named for him. He donated the land for its initial schoolhouse and built its first boarding house. The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad reached the mining camp of Belden at the base of the cliff in 1882. By 1899, it had a population of approximately 300, as well as a newspaper, called the Gilman Enterprise.

Gold Park, CO

Goldfield, CO

County: Teller
Zip Code: Cripple Creek 80813
Latitude / Longitude: 38°43′04″N 105°07′31″W
Elevation: 38°43′04″N 105°07′31″W
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established: 1895
Disestablished:1932
Comments: The town of Goldfield, Nevada is a historic mining center that was once home to over 3,500 people. It’s known for being at the epicenter of labor wars between striking workers and mine owners during America’s Industrial Revolution.
Remains: A few buildings.
Current Status:
Remarks: The camp is a fascinating piece of American history, and it’s not hard to see why. Though many people think that the story ended in 1906 with Colorado Mine Riot – when militia forces rode out on horseback against their former co-workers after they were fired from Union Carbide for instigating violence between campsites near Goldfield where some miners refused orders (and others did not) over new taxation policies intended as payment by weight rather than an hour worked.

Gothic, CO

County:
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (aka RMBL – pronounced ‘rumble’) is a high-altitude biological field station located near Crested Butte, in the West Elk Mountains in the state of Colorado, United States. The laboratory was founded in 1928 on the site of an abandoned mining town. Research areas include the ecology of the region, climate change, pollination biology, and a long-running study of the yellow-bellied marmot. The laboratory offers courses for undergraduate students, including National Science Foundation-funded REU students, and provides support for researchers from universities and colleges.
Remains:
Current Status: RMBL was founded in 1928 on the remains of an abandoned mining town in Gothic, Colorado. Approximately 180 people are in residence there during the summer field season. Over 1500 scientific publications have been based on work from the Laboratory (currently 30–50 per year).
Remarks:

Gwillemville, CO

County: El Paso
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments:
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Hamilton, CO

County: Moffat
Zip Code: 81638
Latitude / Longitude: 40°21’51N 107°37’00W
Elevation: 6,243 ft (1,903 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Hamilton is an unincorporated community and a U.S. Post Office in Moffat County, Colorado, United States. The Hamilton Post Office has the ZIP Code 81638.
Remains:
Current Status:
Remarks:

Holy Cross City, CO

Howardsville (Bullion City), CO

County: San Juan
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 37°50′8″N 107°35′39″W / 37.83556°N 107.59417°W / 37.83556 -107.59417
Elevation: 9,747 ft (2,971 m)
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Howardsville is an unincorporated community in San Juan County, Colorado, United States, along the Animas River at the mouth of Cunningham Creek. Its elevation is 9,747 feet (2,971 m).
Remains: Established and laid out by the Bullion City Company as Bullion City in 1874, it was renamed later in the year, either for Lieutenant Howard, a once-prominent local figure, or for George Howard, who once had a cabin in the area. It was the first county seat of San Juan County, holding that title until 1875.
Current Status:
Remarks:

Howbert, CO

County: Park
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Howbert is a defunct community that existed from 1887 to 1933 in southeastern Park County in central Colorado. Begun as an outpost of the former Colorado Midland Railway, it was named for Irving Howbert, who was an organizer and officer of Colorado Midland, a former member of the Colorado State Senate, a banker, silver mine owner, and a founder with General William Jackson Palmer of Colorado Springs. Irving Howbert never lived in the community. Howbert and two nearby communities were fully submerged under Eleven Mile Reservoir in Eleven Mile State Park.
Remains: Howbert was a ranching outpost, where an eight-thousand-head cattle sale was concluded in August 1907. The community was first called Dell’s Camp, presumably for B. R. Dell, who had opened a general store there before the arrival of the railroad. The United States Post Office opened in Howbert in December 1887. The next year, 125 lots were platted on land owned by James M. Petty. To accommodate growth in the community, Dell constructed a three-story building in 1888. The store and post office operated on the ground level. The basement was used for storage and the upstairs as a church and meeting hall.
Current Status: Though it had been called “the liveliest town in the county for its size”, little remains of Howbert today. There is a functioning Howbert Campground in the area.
Remarks: The water needs of the city and county of Denver were increasing as the area grew. The Eleven Mile Canyon Dam was built from 1930 to 1932. The Howbert public school was relocated just before 1930. In 1933, the completion of the dam caused the South Platte River to flood Howbert, Idlewild, and Freshwater Station, as well as nearby ranches. An extension of the dam in 1957 buried more ranch land. The capacity of the reservoir was brought to nearly 98,000 acre-feet of water. The dam was the largest artificial body of water in Colorado at that time. It is one of seven reservoirs that still contribute to the drinking water of the Denver area.

Alma, CO