You'll find over 300 ghost towns peppered across Colorado's landscape. Most of these vacant towns rest high in the Colorado Rockies, where miners built settlements in hopes of striking it rich. At the same time, others lie in the eastern plains as a stopping ground for travelers traversing the country.

After the gold and silver crashes, towns once considered a major part of Colorado began to dry up and shutter their windows.

Lucky for us, some of these Colorado towns still have remnants of their former glory.

What Defines a Ghost Town?

A ghost town is a city, town, or village that once had a post office that is now closed. These towns were closed because of their supporting industry dying down, major roadways built to circumvent the area, or natural disasters that made life impossible.

Tips for Visiting Ghost Towns Around Colorado

Before you go out exploring ghost towns, you should know a few things.

  • Do not trespass. Some ghost towns around Colorado are on private property. Make sure you know whether the ghost town is on public or private land. Please do not enter buildings or other structures for safety reasons.
  • Do not vandalize or take items. Ghost towns around Colorado have endured enough thanks to Mother Nature; we don't need to do any more damage. Plus, this leaves these sites for future generations to explore. Take nothing but photos.
  • Know before you go. Most ghost towns in Colorado require some off-road travel. Make sure you know the route to the ghost town and whether you need a 4x4 vehicle or if you can get there in an average car.

Let's take an alphabetical tour through some of the ghost towns of Colorado:

KEEP SCROLLING: Take an Alphabetical Tour of Colorado's Ghost Towns

There are over 300 ghost towns peppered throughout the state of Colorado. Some of these towns are very well preserved with a few residents. Others are completely abandoned with very little left to explore. Regardless, venturing through one of these towns will give you a look into Colorado's rich mining history.

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