Written by Kyle
We took a side trip on our way home from Salida, and visited St. Elmo, Colorado. Originally named Forest City, the town was renamed St. Elmo in 1880. During its peak in the 1880s, over 2,000 miners and their families lived there, supported by the Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad. When the local mines dried up and the railroad discontinued service in 1922, the town began to empty. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains one of the best-preserved ghost towns in the West.
I was actually not sure what to expect with the drive up as I had read somewhere that it was “off road”, but we found it was just a normal gravel forest road. There was a good amount of summer traffic and people towing side by sides up into the Sawatch Range.
We arrived in town and walked the main street, stopping to pick up a brochure and map. Several of the buildings have been restored and have exhibits and photographs inside further explaining the history of the town.
We of course went into the General Store to look around and grab a cold refreshment before perusing the antiques for sale in the lot next door.
It is a neat place to visit, and because it is so complete it is easy to imagine yourself there in a different time. Make sure the kids bring some food for the famous St Elmo chipmunks, or buy a bag there at the General Store!
