List of ghost towns in Colorado

This is a list of some ghost towns in the U.S. State of Colorado. Colorado has over 1,500 ghost towns, although visible remains of only about 640 still exist. Due to incomplete records and legends that are now accepted as fact, no exhaustive list can realistically be produced.
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Colorado ghost towns

Most Colorado ghost towns were abandoned for the following 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. One or two 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 of Colorado ghost towns

The following is a sortable table of some of the most notable Colorado ghost towns.

Notes

Gallery

Animas Forks CO.jpg, Abandoned buildings at Animas Forks, Colorado.
Ashcroft CO - houses.jpg, Houses along Ashcroft, Colorado's Main Street, 2007.
Rawley Mine Commissary $1.00 Token.gif, Token coin with the value of $1.00, issued by the Rawley Mine Commissary in Bonanza, Colorado.
Capitol City, Colo.jpg, Capitol City, Colorado.
CaribouCO.jpg, Caribou, Colorado circa 1911.
CaribouCO-2005.jpg, Caribou, Colorado in 2005.
Dyerville1.jpg, The remains of an old cabin at Dyersville, Colorado.
Eastonville side house.JPG, An abandoned house in Eastonville, Colorado.
ArcadeSaloon-EldoraColorado-1898-DPL.jpg, The Arcade Saloon in Eldora, Colorado in 1898.
EurekaCO.jpg, Remains of the old ore mill in Eureka, Colorado.
Bassick-Mine.jpg, Remains of the Bassick silver mine, Querida, Colorado.
Co goosttown st elmo1.jpg, Saint Elmo, Colorado in 2005.

See also

*Colorado
**Bibliography of Colorado
**Index of Colorado-related articles
**Outline of Colorado
* Colorado statistical areas
* Geography of Colorado
*History of Colorado
*List of counties in Colorado
*List of places in Colorado
** List of mountain passes in Colorado
**List of mountain peaks of Colorado
**List of mountain ranges of Colorado
** List of populated places in Colorado
*** List of census-designated places in Colorado
***List of county seats in Colorado
*** List of forts in Colorado
***List of ghost towns in Colorado
***List of historic places in Colorado
***List of municipalities in Colorado
***List of post offices in Colorado
**List of rivers of Colorado
* List of protected areas of Colorado

References

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External links

Colorado state government websiteColorado tourism websiteHistory Colorado websiteFull Resolution Ghost Town and Historic Photos by Coloradopast.comColorado Ghost Town Photos by Rocky Mountain Profiles

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Colorado geography-related lists
Colorado history-related lists
Lists of places in Colorado
Colorado, List of ghost towns in
Colorado, List of ghost towns in