Entry No. 13 — the Fort Collins file — filed under: ghost-town
Teller City Ghost Town
“You will probably have the whole town to yourselves.”
In 1879 silver pulled 1,500 people into this lodgepole forest below the Never Summers — 27 saloons, a newspaper, and the 40-room Yates Hotel. Then the ore played out in 1884 and they bolted so fast that, legend says, plates and silverware were left set for supper. Now a 3/4-mile Forest Service loop wanders past sagging log cabins and foundations, with broken crockery and bottle glass still scattered in the duff. You will probably have the whole town to yourselves.
The move: Walk the loop slowly at golden hour, pick which collapsing cabin you two would have claimed in 1883, and leave every shard of crockery exactly where it lies.
📍 Before you go From CO-125 about two miles south of Rand, turn east on Jackson County Road 21, then take the left fork onto Forest Road 740 for roughly 3.5 miles; parking is a pullout on the right with the trailhead across the road. The dirt roads are fine for most cars when dry, but snow closes access outside summer, and the alternate route over Skeleton Pass from Gould needs 4WD and high clearance. The loop itself is an easy walk at high elevation; artifacts are protected, so look but do not pocket. Pair it with the moose-watching deck at State Forest State Park on the drive back through Gould.
- 📍 Walden
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Teller City Interpretive Trail, Forest Rd 740 (via Jackson County Rd 21 off CO-125, ~2 miles south of Rand), Walden, CO 80480
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3
last checked: 2026-06-11