From the Colorado Tourism Office
PRESS RELEASE – Colorado is home to 150 recorded town sites and many more abandoned or ghost towns with storied pasts of mining riches, rowdy saloons and outlaw showdowns. Walk these main streets and imagine the former hustle and bustle of these towns in their heyday during Colorado’s mining boom frenzy in the late 1800s. Below is a sampling of some of Colorado’s best-preserved and most accessible ghost towns for modern-day visitors to take a step back in time and a peek at the Old West. For more information, visit https://www.colorado.com/articles/colorado-ghost-towns.
Animas Forks. In 1873, explorers discovered deep deposits of gold and started building Animas Forks in southwest Colorado, which sits at an elevation of 11,160 feet. Some 400 to 1,000 people called Animas Forks home, but the town’s extremely harsh conditions meant residents didn’t stay for very long. Local lore claims Evalyn Walsh, mining heiress and owner of the Hope Diamond, penned her autobiography in this town. Visitors are advised to reach Animas Forks in the summer via a four-wheel drive vehicle or rent an ATV in nearby Lake City or Silverton.
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