Every Labor Day weekend (which coincides with our wedding anniversary weekend), tradition dictates we pile into our “adventure-mobile” and hit the road. We had so much fun last year in Colorado, that we decided to go back, but this time to the Telluride area.
Our first stop upon arriving in Colorado: the Alta Ghost Town and the nearby Alta Lakes.
Back in 1878, a man by the name of Jack Mann discovered gold in this area. The Alta townsite came into existence shortly thereafter. Only a few hundred people lived here, and World War II saw a resurgence in activity but it closed for good in 1948 after a fire burned the mine’s mill.
Beautiful Aspen trees along the trail.
To get to the ghost town, a high clearance vehicle is recommended but a sedan can make it. We saw several at the lakes. The unpaved but well traveled road is windy and narrow enough in some places that only 1 vehicle will fit on the path.
Alta Ghost Town Overview
- Coordinates: 37.885647, -107.854159
- Fees: FREE
- Road Difficulty: Easy with 4×4
- Usage: Light
- Pets allowed: Yes
