Known as Colorado's "Most Original Ghost Town", St Elmo sits along Chalk Creek at 10,000 ft. Much of the original architecture has been frozen in time providing a historical record of an early Rocky Mountain mining town.
Fall is a great time to visit St Elmo
While the number of year-round residents can be counted on one hand, the summer months bring hundreds of visitors to Main Street during the day. Adventurers come from all over the world to take photos of the old mining town, feed the chipmunks, or ride on hundreds of miles of OHV trails that link to the town. The streets quickly empty after 5 pm, leaving only a few summer residents and wildlife out to enjoy the cool evenings.
St. Elmo General Store is open from mid-May to late September. The store has souvenirs, snacks, ATV rentals, antiques, and a 1 room rental cabin. You can also purchase chipmunk food for the numerous furry friends that gather daily across the street.
September to mid-October is a great time to check out the changing fall colors along Chalk Creek and along the ATV & Jeep trails.
During the winter months, Snowmobiling and Snow-shoeing are popular. The main road into town is sometimes clear enough for 2wd, but deep snow will prevent you from taking the roads towards Tincup Pass or Hancock, even with 4wd.
Nearly all of town is private property. Please be considerate of the owners when exploring and taking pictures.
Getting there:
Take Chaffee County Road 162 approximately 15 miles west of Nathrop Colorado. The last 5 miles is a dirt road and can get sloppy during the spring snow melt. The road is pretty clear most of the winter.
Get a closer look at the buildings in the 1880's mining town with our photo tours:
Gunnison Ave:
http://www.coloradotraveltips.com/stelmotour1First Street:
http://www.coloradotraveltips.com/stelmotour2East Main & Poplar Street:
http://www.coloradotraveltips.com/stelmotour3
Links to additional area info:
