Well-preserved Colorado ghost towns (Part one)

There are hundreds of abandoned sites around Colorado that once stood as towns of the late 19th century mining boom. Here’s a road trip featuring five of the most well-preserved ghost towns. (And we will feature five more on Monday.)

1. Dearf

ield — near Greeley

Start in the plains of eastern Colorado at the ghost town of Dearfield. It was once a settlement of more than 700 African American residents who aimed to cultivate an agricultural colony. Settlers arrived in 1911 and less than a decade later, Dearfield consisted of two churches, a school, and a restaurant. However, the Dust Bowl of the 1930s dwindled the town’s population. This ghost town remains today as a symbol of Western culture.

2. Homestead Meadows — Estes Park

About 1 hour and 40 minutes west from Dearfield via U.S. Highway 34 to Colorado Highway 66, reach the ghost town of Homestead Meadows near Estes Park. This abandoned town offers insight into the daily life of 19th century settlers. Homestead Meadows was once a town for farming and lumber work and today features several old buildings slowly subduing to the elements of Mother Nature.

3. Caribou City – Nederland

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Continue south about 1 hour and 15 minutes via Colorado Highway 7 and Highway 72 from Homestead Meadows to Caribou City, a ghost town near Nederland. Caribou City sits at about 10,000 feet above sea level and features a collapsed wooden cabin and two stone ruins but used to be the site of rich silver veins.

4. Silver Plume — near Georgetown

Widely known as the ghost town that never died, Silver Plume is located just west of Georgetown along Interstate 70, about an hour southwest via Colorado Highway 119 to the interstate. Silver Plume’s saloon is a great place to stop for lunch along this ghost town road trip through Colorado. Many original buildings in town still stand since their construction in 1870.

5. South Park City — Fairplay

Continue on this ghost town road trip from Silver Plume along Guanella Pass, a can’t-miss mountain road that leads to Grant. Guanella Pass reaches a peak elevation of 11,670 feet above sea level and is considered one of Colorado’s most scenic routes. The drive from Silver Plume to Grant via Guanella Pass is about an hour long.

From there, head south on U.S. 285 to the next ghost town on this road trip, South Park City. It’s one of Colorado’s most renowned ghost towns, featuring an entire block of buildings from the state’s mining era, including a museum, saloon, barber shop, and more.

Author’s Note: Guanella Pass is closed during winter months. An alternate route during the closure is Interstate 70 east to U.S. Highway 285 South from Georgetown to Grant — approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.

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