Crystal, Colorado

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Crystal, Colorado is a ghost town in a valley on the upper Crystal River in Colorado, on a four-wheel-drive gravel road between Marble, Colorado and Crested Butte.

Founded in 1880, but mined as early as the 1860's, Crystal Colorado is home of the most photographed site in Colorado, the Mill. Originally the mill had a horizontal waterwheel which would provide air pressure for miners in the nearby silver mines

At its peak, Crystal had 400+ residents, two newspapers (the Crystal River Current and The Silver Lance), a pool hall, a mens club, a barber shop and two hotels.

Many buildings still stand in Crystal but the roads leading to it are 4WD only.

A warning to those who use MapQuest or other online maps to plan their routes: Colorado State Highway 3 between Crested Butte and Marble, Colorado is NOT displayed as "4WD Only" or "Closed in Winter." However, this 'State Highway' has degenerated to the point of impassability except for ATV's, short-wheelbase high-clearance 4WD vehicles, offroad motorcycles, or mountain bikes. The section between Crystal and Schofield Park is particularly dangerous, due to an annual snowslide called "The Snowbridge" and the cliffside section of road past "Devil's Punchbowl". It is recommended that drivers park their vehicles at the head of the canyon section, and walk the road first, before committing themselves, as there are few if any places to pull over and/or turn around. Towing fees to retrieve stuck or crashed vehicles are extremely expensive, if the vehicle can be rescued at all.

There are books available on Crystal by one of its few residents. http://www.crystaltalebooks.com/

Crystal is now a ghost town, though there are several active houses during the summertime. It is surrounded by excellent mountain biking and 4x4 terrain, and can be reached via tours out of the town of Marble.