Entry No. 34 — the Durango file — filed under: ghost town
Ophir Town & Post Office
Named after the biblical land of King Solomon's gold, Ophir clings to a narrow San Juan valley at 9,700 feet where avalanche paths actually divide the town into separate neighborhoods. Founded in 1875, the settlement once held 400 miners; by the early 1970s it was down to a single resident. What brought it back was the Telluride ski resort opening nearby in 1972, not another ore strike. Today roughly 180 people and their dogs live here, governed by a general assembly that meets in a building barely larger than a garden shed. The post office — established in 1878, three years before the town itself — is claimed to be one of the smallest staffed post offices in the United States: a wooden structure split down the middle by a half-door, one side for the mail carrier, the other holding a wall of PO boxes for the entire community.
The story
In 1875, miners squeezed into this narrow San Juan basin at 9,700 feet, lured by King Solomon–worthy gold prospects and willing to ignore the sheer alpine walls towering directly overhead. They named the settlement Ophir, built a booming mining camp of 400 people, and established a post office in 1878—three full years before the town even bothered to incorporate. But when the ore played out, the decline was total. By the early 1970s, the population had collapsed down to a single remaining resident.
What resurrected Ophir wasn't another gold vein, but the 1972 opening of the ski resort down the road in Telluride. Refuge-seekers and resort workers moved into the steep valley, reviving the community on unusual terms. Because massive avalanche paths cut straight down the mountain slopes, the town is physically split into separate pockets of cabins. To run things, Ophir uses a direct General Assembly form of government where every registered resident is a voting member, gathering in a town hall barely bigger than a garden shed.
The crown jewel of this improbable mountain sanctuary remains its original post office at 431 Ophir Road. Frequently cited as one of the smallest staffed post offices in the United States, it operates inside a cramped wooden structure split by a wooden half-door: the postal worker operates on one side, while the other wall houses tiny brass PO boxes for all ~180 residents and their dogs.
What it's like
Driving into Ophir off CO-145 feels like dropping into a secret alpine pocket where time moved sideways. You'll navigate dirt lane roads framed by severe vertical peaks and slide chutes, passing wood-sided cabins, parked mountain bikes, and free-roaming dogs. Aim precisely for the post office's brief afternoon window (1–5 PM weekdays) to step inside the tiny wooden foyer, hear the clack of mail sorting, and get a postcard stamped with ZIP code 81426. Just remember that in winter, active avalanche mitigation or natural slides can trap the town or shut the access road entirely.
The move: Drive the San Juan Skyway to this near-ghost town, poke around the old stamp mill ruins and the Rio Grande Southern railroad grade, then arrive at the tiny post office window during its brief afternoon hours to send a postcard home from one of America's most improbable ZIP codes.
📍 Before you go The post office keeps limited hours: Mon–Fri 1–5pm and Sat 8–11:30am only — plan around them or the trip loses its anchor. The access road off CO-145 is paved and passenger-car friendly in summer; winter is a different story, as avalanche closures are common and the town can be cut off entirely. Ophir Pass Road (FS 630), which climbs east out of town, is a rough 4WD route and typically not open until late June. Durango is about 60 miles and two hours away via US-550 N to CO-145 N.
- 📍 Ophir
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 431 Ophir Rd, Ophir, CO 81426 (off CO-145, approximately 12 miles south of Telluride in the Howard Fork valley)
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 — Just a mile down the canyon sits the stone powerhouse that proved high-voltage alternating current could be transmitted long-distance to power industrial mining.
- Alta Ghost Town — Continue your high-altitude mining tour by driving up to this eerie, high-elevation ghost town sitting at 11,800 feet above the Ophir valley.
- San Bernardo Mine — Combine your visit to Ophir with a look at the historic mine ruins hanging off the slopes right along the highway turnoff.
- Telluride Free Box — Head 12 miles north into Telluride after sending your mail to experience another surviving artifact of San Juan communal culture.
Good to know
Where is Ophir located and how do I get there?
Ophir sits off CO-145 in the Howard Fork valley, about 12 miles south of Telluride and 60 miles north of Durango. The access road into town is paved and accessible by standard cars in summer.
What are the hours for the Ophir Post Office?
The post office operates strictly from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday, and 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM on Saturdays. It is closed Sundays.
Can I drive over Ophir Pass from town?
Ophir Pass Road (Forest Service Road 630) climbs east out of town toward Silverton, but it is a rugged 4WD rocky trail that usually does not melt out and open until late June or early July.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · Official site · westernmininghistory.com · flickr.com · durango.org
last checked: 2026-06-11