FourteenerNet.Com: St. Elmo Colorado Lodging, Real Estate, Recreation, Shopping, Dining, and History


St. Elmo, Colorado

St. Elmo, Colorado Lodging, Real Estate, Recreation and more


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Welcome to St. Elmo

Sixteen miles west of Nathrop, deep in the Chalk Creek Canyon, you'll find yourself staring at an incredibly well-preseved and "official" ghost town. Ask the handful of residents, however, and they'll tell you there's more here than just ghosts.

Incorporated as a city in 1880 and populated then by the gold and silver hounds aching for a find in the hills, St. Elmo once boasted nearly 2,000 residents in its hey-day. A railroad stop for the Denver South Park & Pacific Railroad until 1922, when the mines ran dry and the population left seeking riches elsewhere.

Today it stands as the most authentic ghost town in Colorado, having been preserved as opposed to restored. It's highly recommended you do NOT go exploring off the set trails in the old mining district, they can be very unstable and dangerous. Note that all of St. Elmo is privately owned and you're asked to respect the signs posted in town.

If you're here with a 4 x 4, take a trip to Tincup Pass during the summer and fall months, just a few miles west of St. Elmo. On the way, see if you can't spot any evidence of Romley and Hancock, towns that flourished during the same period as St. Elmo, but didn't share its longevity.

You can still share in the area's wealth however, if you bring your rock hounding gear you can still find quartz and aquamarine in the arms of the mountains.

In FourteenerNet's pages, you'll find information about businesses and rentals still operating in and around St. Elmo, to help you plan a trip back in time, when the west was still truly wild.