Time Travel in Colorado: 8 Ruins You Should Visit

There’s no doubt that there is a lot of history in the beautiful state of Colorado, but beyond museums and antique shops there are lots of abandoned sites and “ruins” that turn back the clock as well! Many of them are still beautifully maintained and definitely deserve a visit! Check out our list of Colorado ruins below and plan your next weekend (or longer) trip! (Please note that some are open seasonally, so check their website before heading out)

1. A door to nowhere…
Take a step back in time to the Gold Rush days of the 1860’s. Central City just west of Denver is now a quaint “gambling” town that offers old buildings and architectural relics of days past!

2. Mount Falcon Park
“The story of Mt Falcon is largely the story of John Brisben Walker, who once owned 4,000 acres surrounding his castle. The acreage is now an open space area that the public can use for hiking and biking.  In a large meadow near the ruins is where he would race cars from the Stanley Steamer Co which he then owned . He went on to own Cosmopolitan Magazine. During the early 1900’s Mr. Walker lived in an elaborate stone house with eight fireplaces a 3 story towering turret, which eventually caught fire. The ruins remain still.”

3. The Mount Evans Crest House
“The Mount Evans Crest House, located at the terminus of the Mount Evans Scenic Byway at the summit of Mount Evans, was constructed between 1940 and 1941 by contractor Justus ‘Gus’ Roehling… It originally served as a restaurant, gift shop, and tourist attraction, making it the highest business structure in the United States, until it was partially destroyed in a fire in 1979. Its ruins have since been partially reconstructed.”

4. Mesa Verde
“Created by the Ancestral Pueblo nearly 700 years ago, Mesa Verde National Park is home to 5,000 known archeological sites and 600 cliff dwellings. Mesa Verde is considered to be one of the most notable and best preserved Ancestral Puebloan archeological sites in the country.”

5. Tomboy
Tomboy is an old mining town from the 1920’s with ruins and remnants still remaining. It sits high above Telluride, CO (11, 500 ft) so the drive up is not for the faint of heart, and it’s only accessible during the Summer months.

6. Redstone Coke Oven Historic District
Constructed in 1899 when a spike in the region’s smelting production was in demand. The ovens closed down less than 10 years later when the areas mines closed.

7. Camp Hale
Camp Hale near Vail, CO was a U.S. Army training facility constructed in 1942 that housed and trained soldiers back in the early 1940’s. Now all that remains are some concrete walls.

8. Leadville Ghost town
One of the largest Ghost town areas in the state of Colorado. It houses nearly 20 square miles of mining history.

All images courtesy of posted website links or wikipedia.com
Travel Related Post: Colorado Museums
Enjoy going back in time by visiting these Colorado ruins!