Entry No. 28 — the Durango file — filed under: ghost town
Alta Ghost Town
Perched at 11,800 feet above sea level in a tight alpine basin south of Telluride, Alta operated from 1877 until a mill fire ended it in 1948. The Gold King Mine here became the world's first industrial site to run on commercial alternating current — Lucien Nunn contracted with Westinghouse to build the Ames hydroelectric plant three miles away in 1891, cutting monthly power costs from $2,500 to $500. About 20 original structures survive: a two-story 1939 boardinghouse assembled from salvaged St. Louis mine timbers, collapsed cabin rows, ore-bin frames, and aerial tramway anchor points. The site sits on the National Register of Historic Places and charges no admission. Come for the ruins, stay for the cold wind and the view.
The story
You are standing at 11,800 feet above sea level in a stark alpine basin south of Telluride, surrounded by timber skeletons that helped solve one of the late 19th century’s biggest engineering problems. Mining gold up here meant hauling endless coal up steep passes to run steam engines, burning through roughly $2,500 a month in fuel. In 1891, mine manager Lucien Nunn partnered with Westinghouse to string direct high-voltage alternating current three miles up the mountain from the newly built Ames hydroelectric plant. The Gold King Mine at Alta became the world's first industrial facility driven by commercial AC power, instantly dropping monthly energy costs down to $500.
The camp ran continuously from 1877 until a catastrophic mill fire abruptly ended operations in 1948. What remains is a ghost town preserved by thin air and brutal winters: roughly twenty structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can trace the outlines of collapsed cabin rows, inspect aerial tramway anchor points, and walk up to a two-story boardinghouse built in 1939 out of heavy timbers salvaged from the nearby St. Louis mine.
What it's like
Getting here requires grinding four miles up Forest Road 632—a narrow, single-lane dirt track off CO-145 where a high-clearance 4WD vehicle is strongly advised. There are no gates, no ticket booths, no gift shops, and zero cell service. The alpine wind hits immediately when you step out of the car, even in midsummer. Expect to wander freely around the boardinghouse frame and scattered ore-bin structures, but keep a strict eye on the sky: summer afternoon lightning storms roll over the unexposed ridge fast, so plan to be back down the road by 2 p.m.
The move: Drive the rough Alta Lakes Road together, park among the ruins, and wander the boardinghouse and scattered cabins at 11,800 feet. Pack a lunch and eat where miners once slept. Continue the extra mile to Alta Lakes if your vehicle can handle it.
📍 Before you go Alta Lakes Road is closed by snow from roughly late October through late June — call the Norwood Ranger District to confirm. A high-clearance 4WD is strongly recommended; passenger cars can reach the ghost town in dry summer conditions but the road is rough and single-lane. The round trip from Durango is close to 6 hours with driving; start early. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August — aim to be off the exposed ridge by 2 p.m. No services, no cell signal, no fee.
- 📍 Durango
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Alta Lakes Road (Forest Road 632), approximately 8 miles south of Telluride on CO-145, then 4 miles east on FR 632. The ghost town sits at the end of the navigable section of the road, San Miguel County, CO.
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Ames Hydroelectric Generating Station — Visit the canyon powerhouse three miles away that supplied the historic alternating current directly to Alta's mines in 1891.
- Ophir Town & Post Office — Pair Alta's high-altitude ruins with a trip into nearby Ophir, a narrow San Juan valley mining settlement tucked beneath active avalanche chutes.
- Gold King Mine — Explore the immediate mining district ruins right around Alta that spurred the region's historic electrical revolution.
- Telluride Historical Museum — Head into Telluride afterward to see original mining artifacts and archival photographs housed in an 1896 stone hospital.
Good to know
How much does it cost to visit Alta Ghost Town?
It is completely free to enter and explore. There are no admission fees, staff, or open facility services on site.
What kind of car do I need to drive there?
A high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle is strongly recommended. While dry summer weather occasionally allows carefully driven passenger cars to reach the townsite, Forest Road 632 is a rough, unpaved single-lane mountain road with pullouts.
When is the road open to the site?
Forest Road 632 is typically blocked by snow from late October until late June. Check conditions with the USFS Norwood Ranger District before heading out early or late in the season.
How long is the drive from Durango?
Drive time alone runs close to 3 hours each way from Durango, making the full round trip roughly 6 hours behind the wheel. Start early in the morning to beat afternoon high-altitude storms.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: uncovercolorado.com · historynet.com · telluride.com · Official site · tellurideoutside.com
last checked: 2026-06-11