List of ghost towns in Colorado facts for kids

The location of the State of Colorado in the United States

This is a list of some notable ghost towns in the U.S. State of Colorado. A ghost town is a former community that now has no year-round residents or less than 1% of its peak population. Colorado has over 1,500 ghost towns, although visible remains of only about 640 still exist. Due to incomplete records, no exhaustive list can be produced.

Abandonment

Colorado ghost towns were abandoned for a number of reasons:

• Mining towns were abandoned when the mines closed; many due to the devaluation of silver in 1893.
• Mill towns were abandoned when the mining towns they serviced closed.
• Farming towns on the eastern plains were often deserted due to rural depopulation.
• Coal towns were abandoned when the coal (or the need for it) ran out.
• Stage stops were abandoned when the railroad came through.
• Rail stops were deserted when the railroad changed routes or abandoned the spurs.

Others were abandoned for more unusual reasons. Some were resort towns which never brought in enough tourists. At least seven former townsites are now underwater, caused by the creation of reservoirs; a few are covered in mining tailings, as noted below. Of the list below, some involve settlements with visible tangible remains such as structures or cemeteries, while the precise location of others is known only through maps and historic accounts.

Table

This is a sortable table of some of the ghost towns in Colorado. Select the OpenStreetMap link in the box at right to view a map showing the location these towns.

Gallery

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  Abandoned buildings at Animas Forks, Colorado

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  Houses along Ashcroft, Colorado's Main Street, 2007

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  Token coin with the value of $1.00, issued by the Rawley Mine Commissary in Bonanza, Colorado

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  Capitol City, Colorado

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  Caribou, Colorado circa 1911

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  Caribou, Colorado in 2005

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  The remains of an old cabin at Dyersville, Colorado

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  An abandoned house in Eastonville, Colorado

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  The Arcade Saloon in Eldora, Colorado in 1898

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  Remains of the old ore mill in Eureka, Colorado

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  Remains of the Bassick silver mine, Querida, Colorado

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  Saint Elmo, Colorado in 2005

See also

• List of places in Colorado
• Bibliography of Colorado
• Geography of Colorado
• History of Colorado
• Index of Colorado-related articles
• List of Colorado-related lists
  • List of populated places in Colorado
    • List of census-designated places in Colorado
    • List of counties in Colorado
    • List of county seats in Colorado
    • List of forts in Colorado
    • List of municipalities in Colorado
    • List of post offices in Colorado
    • List of trading posts in Colorado
• Outline of Colorado