Entry No. 43 — the Grand Junction file — filed under: history
Smuggler Mine Tour
Aspen's wealth was dug out of this mountain. In June 1879, prospectors Edward Fuller and Con Allbright staked the Smuggler claim on the slope above what would become one of the world's most expensive resort towns — their bosses later subdivided the meadow below into Aspen's first town lots at ten dollars each. At its peak the mine produced one-fifth of the world's silver, and in 1894 workers pulled out the largest silver nugget ever recorded: 2,340 pounds, so massive it had to be broken into three pieces before it could be hauled out. Guided tours now take you 1,200 feet into the original horizontal shaft, through timber-supported tunnels with ore-cart rails still in place, past hand-drill marks and rigging points, while a guide walks you through extraction techniques and the boom-and-bust arc that built and nearly erased this town.
The story
In June 1879, prospectors Edward Fuller and Con Allbright pounded their wooden stakes into the timbered slope of Smuggler Mountain, claiming the silver vein running beneath it. Their bosses took one look at the grassy meadow stretching out below and realized there was money on top of the soil as well as inside it—subdividing the flats into Aspen's first official town lots for ten dollars apiece. That meadow eventually grew into one of the most absurdly expensive resort footprints on the planet, but for decades, the hill above was doing the heavy lifting, eventually producing one-fifth of all the silver mined on Earth.
In 1894, workers deep down in the horizontal drifts chipped into a vein and hit something unprecedented: a 2,340-pound silver nugget, the largest ever recorded in human history. It was so massive that no team of men or underground rigging could haul it to the surface whole. Miners had to break the giant stone into three pieces underground just to drag it out through the portal.
While downtown Aspen down the hill eventually traded pickaxes for high-end storefronts, the tunnel behind 100 Smuggler Mountain Road stayed frozen in the 19th century. Guided tours lead you 1,200 feet horizontally straight into the mountain face, following original ore-cart rails and timber supports where 300 men per shift once hammered out fortune in pitch blackness.
What it's like
Slip on a provided hard hat, click your headlamp to life, and step off the hillside directly into a damp stone shaft that holds a steady 50 to 55 degrees year-round. You'll duck under heavy timber framing, walk alongside original ore-cart tracks, and trace the hand-drill marks left in the rock face over a century ago. Bring a fleece or light jacket regardless of summer surface heat, and wear sturdy closed-toe shoes—sandals won't get you past the portal. Tours run May through October at 10am, noon, and 2pm; book online through Elk Mountain Expeditions ahead of time, as small group sizes sell out quickly on warm weekends.
The move: Walk into the dark together wearing hard hats and miners' lamps, crouch through a tunnel that smells of cold rock and wet timber, and try to picture 300 men working a shift down here at a time when this slope was paying out a fifth of the world's silver.
📍 Before you go Tours run May through October, departing at 10am, noon, and 2pm. Cost is $50 per person; hard hats and headlamps are provided. Advance booking is strongly recommended — groups are small and slots sell out, especially on summer weekends. Book online through Elk Mountain Expeditions or call 970-456-6287. The mine holds a steady 50–55°F year-round, so bring a light jacket regardless of surface weather. Closed-toe shoes are required; no sandals. Minimum age is 6. The trailhead parking lot is free and it's a short drive or even a walkable uphill from downtown Aspen.
- 📍 Aspen
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 100 Smuggler Mountain Road, Aspen, CO 81611
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Bad Harriet at Hotel Jerome — Follow up a damp trip through original mine tunnels with a subterranean cocktail in this locked-door basement speakeasy at Hotel Jerome.
- Ute Cemetery — Head less than a mile down the slope to walk among the 1880s graves of early prospectors who worked these mountains during Aspen's original silver rush.
- Ashcroft Ghost Town — Drive nine miles up Castle Creek Road to explore the dirt streets of a short-lived 1880s silver town that lost its boomtown race to Aspen.
Good to know
How much does the tour cost and how do I reserve a spot?
Tours cost $50 per person. You can book online through Elk Mountain Expeditions or call 970-456-6287. Advance booking is strongly recommended because tour groups are kept small and slots sell out.
What should I wear inside the mine?
Bring a light jacket or sweatshirt—the mine maintains a consistent 50–55°F temperature year-round. Closed-toe shoes are required (no sandals or flip-flops). Hard hats and headlamps are provided at the start of the tour.
Are there age limits or physical restrictions?
The minimum age to enter the mine is 6. The tour involves walking 1,200 feet along an underground horizontal shaft with uneven rock floors and low timber ceilings that require occasional crouching.
Where is the mine and how do I park?
The mine sits at 100 Smuggler Mountain Road. There is a free trailhead parking lot at the site, or you can take a short, brisk uphill walk straight out of downtown Aspen.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: elkmtnaspen.com · Wikipedia · Tripadvisor
last checked: 2026-06-11