Entry No. 92 — the Durango file — filed under: ghost town
National Belle Mine
Perched atop a geological outcropping known as 'the Knob' in the Red Mountain Mining District, the National Belle Mine was established in 1883 after miners discovered a massive cavern rich in silver and galena. The mine once overlooked the bustling, rowdy settlement of Red Mountain Town before closing after the silver crash of 1893. Today, visitors can see the mine's crumbling timber remnants, tailings, and the nearby windowless historic town jail.
The story
In 1883, prospectors picking at a weird, knobby geological outcrop in the Red Mountain Mining District didn't just strike a vein—they punched straight into massive natural subterranean caverns lined with rich silver and galena. Instead of spent weeks blasting through solid granite just to carve out a crawlspace, the early miners found subterranean chambers already carved out by nature, stuffed with high-grade ore sitting there waiting to be hauled to the surface.
The National Belle Mine grew rapidly atop 'the Knob,' looking directly down on Red Mountain Town, a wild, quick-built settlement packed with saloons and bunkhouses servicing the boom. But the mountain didn't hold its riches quietly for long. A devastating fire tore through Red Mountain Town in 1892, destroying most of the wooden settlement below the mine. A year later, the silver crash of 1893 swept through the San Juans, gutting ore prices and shuttering the operation for good.
What remains today is a eerie skeleton perched above the valley floor. The collapsed timber framing of the mine sits weathered and grey against the rust-red mountain, while down below on the flat sits the town's small, windowless historic jail—the single notable building from Red Mountain Town to survive both the inferno and a century of brutal alpine winters.
What it's like
To see the National Belle, pull off US 550 onto unpaved County Road 31. You won't be climbing into the shafts—the site sits on private property and the underground workings are unstable, sealed, and genuinely hazardous. However, County Road 31 offers a clear, elevated vantage point right from the public right-of-way. Bring a decent zoom lens to capture the sun bleaching the mine's upper timbers on 'the Knob' and to frame the bizarre, isolated box of the old town jail sitting in the brush below.
The move: Take a scenic drive along the unpaved County Road 31 to safely photograph the mine's weathered wooden ruins and the nearby historic Red Mountain Town jail from the roadside.
📍 Before you go The mine is located on private property and contains hazardous, sealed underground workings, but the ruins are clearly visible and can be safely photographed from the public County Road 31.
- 📍 National Bell Mine
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: National Bell Mine, Colorado 81432, USA
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.
Pair it with
- Yankee Girl Mine Headframe — Located less than a mile away, this is the Red Mountain District's other iconic silver ruin sitting right off the highway.
- Ironton Townsite — Drive two miles north along the road to wander through the ghostly cabin shells of Red Mountain's sister supply hub.
- Frisco Mill at Bagley Tunnel — Head south toward Silverton to inspect a massive, pre-fabricated 1912 wooden concentration mill standing in a nearby gulch.
Good to know
Can you walk up to or explore inside the mine structures?
No. The site is private property and contains dangerous, sealed underground shafts. You must stay on public County Road 31, which offers direct roadside photographic views.
Where is the mine located?
It sits off County Road 31 in the Red Mountain Mining District along the Million Dollar Highway corridor between Silverton and Ouray.
What happened to the town that used to sit below it?
Red Mountain Town was largely destroyed by a massive fire in 1892, and the silver crash of 1893 abandoned what little was rebuilt. The windowless jailhouse is the main surviving structure.
What made this specific mine famous among geologists?
Rather than standard narrow rock veins, the 1883 discovery opened into large natural underground caves heavily mineralized with galena and silver.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: coloradovibes.com · uncovercolorado.com · westernmininghistory.com · she-explores.com · nmgs.nmt.edu
last checked: 2026-07-20