St. Elmo Ghost Town

St. Elmo sprang up in the late 1870s and 1880s as miners worked the rich silver and gold veins in the mountains around Chalk Creek. At its height the town supported stores, saloons, a hotel, homes, and the traffic of a nearby railroad built to serve the mines and cross the range.

As the ore played out and the railroad was abandoned, the population dwindled until St. Elmo became a ghost town. Unlike many camps that burned or were dismantled, it survived largely intact, leaving one of the most complete pictures of a Colorado mining town anywhere in the state.

The heart of St. Elmo is its main street, lined with weathered false-front buildings, cabins, and the old town hall and general store. Standing among them, it is easy to imagine the boom years, and interpretive touches help tell the story of the people who lived and worked here.

Most of the buildings are historic and privately owned, so visitors are asked to look and photograph but not enter or climb on the fragile structures. A general store operates seasonally, keeping a small spark of life in the old town and offering a place to learn more and pick up a few supplies.

St. Elmo has become almost as famous for its chipmunks as for its history. The little animals gather boldly around visitors, especially near the store, and have become a beloved, photogenic part of a visit, delighting children and adults alike.

The town's setting is a reward in itself, tucked in a forested valley beneath the high peaks of the Sawatch Range. The drive up Chalk Creek from the Arkansas valley is lovely, and the surrounding mountains, streams, and old mine roads make the area a fine place to explore beyond the town.

St. Elmo is a popular jumping-off point for the high country above it, where rugged four-wheel-drive roads climb to old mines, alpine lakes, and passes over the Continental Divide. Nearby trailheads lead toward some of the state's high peaks, and the area is rich in mining relics.

This mountain country is part of the ancestral homeland of the Ute people, whose ties to the Sawatch high country long predate the mining era. Summer and early fall are the best times to visit, when the access roads are clear and the aspens turn gold, while winter buries the valley in snow and quiets the ghost town further.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

St. Elmo is one of Colorado's best-preserved ghost towns, tucked in the mountains near Buena Vista in central Colorado. Once a bustling mining town in the late nineteenth century with hundreds of residents drawn by gold and silver, St. Elmo was largely abandoned as the mines played out, leaving behind a remarkable collection of weathered historic wooden buildings, including a general store, town hall, and homes, set in a beautiful mountain valley. Charming, atmospheric, and easily accessible, St. Elmo offers visitors a vivid and photogenic glimpse into Colorado's Old West mining past amid stunning high-country scenery.

You can wander the well-preserved main street and historic buildings, taking in the atmospheric Old West mining-town setting and learning its history, photograph the weathered structures and beautiful mountain scenery, visit the general store which sometimes operates seasonally, feed the friendly chipmunks the town is known for, and use the area as a base for exploring nearby trails and backcountry routes, including off-road and ATV adventures. The town makes a charming and scenic stop. With its preserved historic buildings, mountain setting, and Old West atmosphere, the St. Elmo ghost town offers a memorable and photogenic outing in central Colorado.

St. Elmo is reached by driving up a mountain road from near the town of Nathrop and Buena Vista, following Chalk Creek Road, with much of the route paved or well-maintained gravel accessible to most vehicles in good conditions, though the mountain road can be rough or snowy in winter. The scenic drive up the valley is part of the experience. Because conditions can vary, especially in the colder months, checking road conditions before you go is wise. The relatively easy access makes St. Elmo one of the more visitable ghost towns in Colorado.

Summer and early fall are the best times, when the mountain road is easily accessible, the weather is mildest, the general store may be open seasonally, and fall brings beautiful golden aspen color to the valley, making them ideal for exploring and photography. Winter brings snow that can make the road difficult and the town very quiet, though it can be beautiful and accessible by snowmobile. For the best combination of easy access, comfortable weather, and open facilities, aim for summer or early fall to visit the St. Elmo ghost town.

St. Elmo is near Buena Vista and Nathrop in central Colorado, close to Mount Princeton Hot Springs, the Arkansas River with its whitewater rafting, the towering Collegiate Peaks, the town of Salida, and within reach of Leadville and the mountain scenery of the region. That makes the St. Elmo ghost town a charming historic stop to combine with Mount Princeton Hot Springs, the Arkansas River recreation, Salida, and the mountain attractions of central Colorado on a visit to the state.