Independence Ghost Town
NileGuide Expert Says:
Admire the spooky ruins and try to imagine working in high-altitude mines in the harsh Colorado winter—gold makes men do some crazy things!
Address:
620 West Bleeker St
(Aspen Historical Society)
Aspen, CO 81611
Phone:
+1 970 925 3721 (Aspen Historical Society)
Description:
Boomtowns came and went in the 1800s and Independence was one of the more famous ones. Created in the summer of 1879 when local prospectors hit gold veins, the ore extracted from mines equated to over $500,000 in the short 11 year life span of Independence. By 1890, nearly all of the operations were gone and only 5 structures remain standing in the ghost town. Admission is free and the road is only open in the temperate summer months, located 13.5 miles east (towards Indepdence Pass) of Aspen along Highway 82.
Map:
