Ghost towns are some of the most popular attractions across the Rocky Mountains and the Western United States. After decades of a booming mining industry, entire towns were just left to collect dust. Their history preserved in run-down and abandoned buildings is a gold mine for the modern-day history buff and ghost town aficionado. There are tons of ghost towns near Ouray Colorado lodging, so here are two more of our picks for the best.
Red Mountain Town is 12 miles from our Ouray Colorado lodging location and was once the largest mining camp on Red Mountain Pass. Many relics still remain, including buildings and mining foundations. Of course, the town used to be a giant mining camp and once was projected to have a population of 10,000 residents. During the late 1800s, investors worldwide even came to invest millions into the successful mining town. However, much like many ghost towns in Colorado, the harsh winters pushed residents to search for lower elevated, warmer towns.
26 miles from Ouray, you can find Henson, full of abandoned homes, mining structures, a schoolhouse, and the remnants of a hydroelectricity dam on Henson Creek. Henson was not a picture-perfect town – severe weather, town shootings, and mining accidents were common – but residents were known for being more resilient than most.
Henson was in full operation well into the twentieth century, making war materials for both world wars. Still, its end came in the early 1970s when the Henson Creek hydroelectric dam broke, posing a chemical hazard to its fish population. A $1.2 clean-up happened before it became listed in the United States National Register of Historic Places.
