We know it's tempting to take a piece of abandoned Colorado home with you, but please dontthis is disrespectful and can make locations inhospitable to future visitors. (via Wikimedia Commons), "The town of Caribou was established in 1870 to house the miners of the Caribou Silver Mine. Crystal Mill (Marble) JahnyBravo / Wikipedia. Of the six, the Deer Creek site is the most popular destination with urban explorers. Now, Denver Public Schools is weighing its options for the facility, which include renovating it for use as an early childhood education center; accepting a bid from the Archdiocese of Denver, which wants to reopen the building as a private high school; selling the property to a private developer; renovating it for lease to a third party; or doing nothing and allowing the building to remain vacant. Will you dare to explore these abandoned places in Colorado? The school board continues to solicit community feedback on how to proceed, so a decision on what to do with the four-acre property is likely many months away. About: These remote, abandoned silos like the Titan 1 Missile Silo in Colorado are dangerous to explore. So we fixed that. Workers were caught between dangerous work and supporting their families, while owners were just looking to raise profits. }); We here at Killer Urbex have noted a distinct lack of guides to dead malls and zombie malls. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'urbexunderground_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_7',151,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-urbexunderground_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); Possibly one of the strangest abandoned places in Colorado is the Wonder View Tower in the small town of Genoa. Published on 10/15/2015 at 12:05 AM. What Makes It Creepy: The tower stands tall but shows signs of wear. One of the most fascinating abandoned places in Colorado that we cant get enough of is the old Wonder View Tower in Genoa. Along with these abandoned locations come haunted trails, eerie feelings, and dangerous situations. Annie is a freelance writer, content editor, and marketing whiz with a background in broadcasting and a passion for chicken nachos. The tunnel is still responsible for a large amount of pollution in the area. When the Rock Island Railroad shutdown, the population rapidly declined. is another Colorado mining town that died a slow and agonizing death once the, . We Dare You to Drive the Most Haunted Road in America. A fifth miner noticed the lights suddenly shut off and the impending sound of water rushing through the tunnelhe barely made it out alive. The Pawnee National Grassland is east of Fort Collins in Northeastern Colorado. At its peak, the Caribou had about 3000 residents, after the fire less than 50 people lived there.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'urbexunderground_com-leader-3','ezslot_11',156,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-urbexunderground_com-leader-3-0'); Today there are plenty of ruins and artifacts to find in the area, with some of the hardy stone structures still standing after the fire. Near the rugged hills of the Pikes Peak region, a collection of now-defunct railroad tunnels have become the subject of considerable curiosityand more than a few urban legends and ghost stories. Does anyone else find deserted, abandoned places in (and out of) Colorado ghost towns to be fascinating? Welcome to Wall Street. Crystal Mill was, Today, Crystal Mill is a major attraction for hikers and photographers, eager to snap shots of this rustic emblem of American industry amidst the Colorado wilds., From nearby Marble (off Highway 133 on County Road 3), you can arrange Jeep and horseback tours. Its by far the spookiest and most popular with urban explorers, though, and is well worth a mention. Animas Forks (not Animal Forks like I first read it), is an old vacant mining town located on the Alpine Loop. But some abandoned buildings are open for public use. Ghost towns dot the western states because of the mining and railroad history in that part of the country. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Masks are also strongly recommended due to the presence of asbestos and other potentially toxic substances in the air underground. When the mines were empty, Leadville survived by shifting its focus from mining to tourism. Boulder CO 80306. Keep in mind these mines are extremely dangerous and should not be explored unless you have proper training and knowledge of underground exploration. Perched above the Crystal River, the Crystal Millalso known as the Sheep Mountain Millhas developed a reputation as one of the most-photographed sites in the state. The rails were sold for scrap in the early 1990s, but the abandoned depot remained in its original location and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. As mining activity in the area declined in the early 20th century, most residents relocated elsewhere, and by the 1920s Animas Forks was essentially abandoned. In 1879, a fire destroyed much of the town, and only a few dozen people remained. In 1884 a storm that lasted for 23 days buried the town in 25 feet of snow. Within a few years, the town had grown to include more than 30 cabins, a hotel, a general store, a post office and a saloon serving around 450 residents. Located along the winding 31-mile route between the areas former gold mines and the city of Colorado Springs, the tunnels were built in the late 19th century, and dangerous conditions likely cost many workers their lives. Several dozen people have been arrested for trespassing while attempting to access the privately-owned Deer Creek silo, so be ready to assume the risk for any consequences of being caught on the property. Its been abandoned since the death of its owner in 2014, and its certainly quite unique (if not a little creepy). About: Independence Mine opened in 1891 during the Gold Rush era. NOTE: This location is now NOT abandoned. Location: Off County Road 317/Gothic Road in Gunnison County, Colorado. Before the town was established, the property was the site of Mining Camp Delphi in 1895. The website Only In Your State is a great resource when searching for local oddities or places to explore. 8. (via Wikimedia), "RMBL was founded in 1928 on the remains of an abandoned mining town in Gothic, Colorado. Today, you can visit the Argo Tunnel site and Argo Gold Mine for. but was replaced by a steel structure that still stands. When the water broke through the wall, it overtook all four miners at the blast location. The area is. Colorado is a beautiful state with a long history of well, all sorts of things. The tunnel never reopened. And of course, youd be exiting through the gift shop.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'urbexunderground_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_8',165,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-urbexunderground_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); In addition to the view, the Wonder View Tower also had a museum inside with numerous oddities such as an eight-legged pig, Native American weaponry, and a two-headed calf.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'urbexunderground_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_6',166,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-urbexunderground_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); The owner has been closed since 2014 after the passing of the owner. The City of Boulder purchased the property in 2000 and has attempted multiple cleanup and remediation efforts on the historic site, but the once-majestic Valmont Butte remains a desecrated shadow of the cherished site where the regions native peoples once sought solitude in the breathtaking beauty of nature. Are Abandoned Places in Colorado Worth Visiting? If you want to get lost. The tower remained in operation for decades until 2014, when the owner passed away. However, some abandoned places are open to the public (as are most places on this list). Though Leadville is no longer known for its rich stores of minerals, visitors to the area can still peek into the past at the site of an abandoned silver mine just east of the town limits. , and the town slowly emptied out. Luckily, we have developed a massive guide to trespassing laws in all 50 states. It was initially built as part of a railroad in the 1880s, eventually becoming a toll road for cars and then a public road. The Englewood Public Library is the second library in Colorado to have to close its doors due to meth contamination. To take you down Colorados haunting trails of yesterdayand yes, we will gladly hold your handis, and was a hub for receiving mining supplies by train.. Though it rarely gets more than a passing mentionif thatin the history books, the Ludlow Massacre remains one of the most violent and tragic events in the American labor movement. Wherever you venture off to explore the unknown, protect yourself and your vehicle with a robust. This, along with mismanagement, deadly mining accidents, and the Colorado Labor Wars caused the mine to lose laborers and eventually close after the ore was all gone. Theres the spooky Argo Tunnel, which was built in 1892 and abandoned in the 1940s when a deadly accident claimed the lives of four miners. A prospector discovered gold flakes in 1861, and the town of Caribou arose shortly after to house the miners. The railroad was the lifeblood of the town and was used to ship cattle in and out of the area. Everything you could possibly want to know about urban exploration and exploring abandoned places can be found at Killer Urbex. Molly Brown House (Denver) Wikimedia Commons In turn, the air compressor provided energy to operate drills connected to the nearby Bear Mountain and Sheep Mountain. The road is suitable for most vehicles, especially if you have a 44. With the notable exception of Louisville, CO, the 62 public parks within Boulder and 104 parks in surrounding communities are open to metal detecting. Today visitors explore the remaining structures, including the masonic lodge, post office, and store. However, by the 1910s, the areas gold and silver mines were in decline, and in 1922, the railroad stopped servicing St. Elmo. "Ashcroft, originally known as Castle Forks City then Chloride until 1882, was a mining town located ten miles south of Aspen, Colorado, United States. as they worked to build access and drainage for a nearby site. Today the fate of the tower is unknown. It is legal to visit St. Elmo and walk around the area, but the property in town is privately owned, so you cant start popping your head into buildings left and right (the ones that remain, anyway).. Built in 1924, the vast two-story brick building appears in reasonably good condition from the outside, but a peek into the empty classrooms tells a different tale. (via Wikimedia), "Crystal is a ghost town in a valley on the upper Crystal River in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States, on a four-wheel-drive road between Marble and Crested Butte. The Mill is a sight to seethe compressor used to power a, This would power machinery and tools, as well as supply ventilation for silver miners toiling away in nearby mines. 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