These Colorado Ghost Towns are Easy Winter Day Trips

Colorado’s ghost towns are rather incredible any time of year, but when the old buildings are dusted with snow, it adds another layer of imagination. The Western Slope is home to several high valleys filled with small ghost towns you can still visit even in the heart of winter.

Keep scrolling to see three Colorado ghost towns you can visit during the winter without a snowmobile or skis. You only need a tank of gas and a little curiosity to see what’s still out there.

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter these properties. By doing so, you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

Gilman — Colorado’s Cliffside Mining Ghost Town

Read More: From Gambling to EPA Shutdown: Two Historic Colorado Towns

Gilman — Elevation: 8,950 feet | Nearest town: Minturn, CO. Easy to find and easy to photograph, the ghost town of Gilman was settled on a ledge above the Eagle River in Eagle County, Colorado. What is left of Gilman is found along Highway 24, southeast of Minturn and north of Tennessee Pass.

Gilman was once home to over 1,500 residents during the peak of mining success, but the thriving zinc and lead mine was closed in 1984 when the EPA discovered serious water contamination. The town is closed to public entry, but easily visible from the pullouts on Highway 24.

Ashcroft — A Snowy Relic Just South of Aspen

Read More: This Colorado Reservoir Hides an Underwater Ghost Town

Ashcroft — Elevation: 9,521 feet | Nearest town: Aspen, CO. There are so many neat things to see and do in Colorado’s Elk Mountains. Several ghost towns are still standing there, too. If you go between snowstorms when roads are passable, you can access the ghost town of Ashcroft year-round. Castle Creek Road is plowed through winter, so all you need to do is dress for the cold. Well-preserved log cabins and storefronts are still found looking just like they did in the 1880s. The Aspen Historical Society manages the Ashcroft site, allowing you to explore snow-covered cabins and peaks most visitors don’t even know about.

Gold Hill — A Living Ghost Town in the Foothills

Gold Hill — Elevation: 8,300 feet | Nearest town: Boulder, CO. Gold Hill is what we in Colorado call a living ghost town. You can find a warm meal and still stay surrounded by 19th-century fortune seekers. This location is found in the foothills outside of Boulder, Colorado, and it’s famous for being one of the first gold camps in the territory.  There are several 100-year-old cabins, a small museum, and the Gold Hill Inn.

There is no way to get to Gold Hill that does not take you on dirt roads. If roads are plowed, drivers should still note that some sections may require high clearance. A shuttle service can be arranged for groups of 15 or more to avoid winter driving altogether.

Colorado’s Best-Preserved Ghost Town

St. Elmo — Elevation: 9,961 feet | Nearest town: Buena Vista, CO. Good old St. Elmo. A case can easily be made that this is Colorado’s best-preserved ghost town. Located in Chaffee County near Buena Vista, it has been there since 1880. St. Elmo boasts a telegraph office, a hotel, and a dance hall, with several standing structures visible from the paved road from Nathrop (County Road 162).

The road is typically maintained, but not someplace you want to be during a blizzard. St. Elmo is a Colorado mining relic that is a sight to see, all dusted in snow.

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