Entry No. 38 — the Fort Collins file — filed under: outlaw-history
Virginia Dale Overland Trail Stage Station
Jack Slade built this home station in 1862, then allegedly robbed a stage of $60,000 in gold that was never recovered — the station still stands on its original footprint, the last of its kind on the entire Overland Trail. It's private property now, owned by the Virginia Dale Community Club, which means the building is quietly occupied rather than roped off and museumified. Drive 45 miles up US-287 toward Wyoming and you'll pass it on the east side of the highway looking exactly like a 164-year-old ranch outbuilding, because it is. Mark Twain met Slade's boss at a nearby station and wrote about it in Roughing It — this is the one that came after the famous meeting.
The move: Contact the Community Club to arrange a visit or time your trip around their annual open house, then walk the same dirt floor where Overland stagecoach passengers ate supper in 1862 and speculate aloud about where Slade hid the gold.
📍 Before you go Private property — contact the Virginia Dale Community Club before visiting (970-217-5705 or [email protected]). Annual Open House held each June with free admission. No gate info published; road is Co Rd 43F off US-287, standard passenger car.
- 📍 Virginia Dale
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 844 Co Rd 43F, Virginia Dale, CO 80536
Hours: Added 2026-06-21 — 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: 2026-06-21