Entry No. 54 — the Grand Junction file — filed under: uranium-mining

Calamity Camp Mining Site

The BLM sign actually warns you about residual radiation before you get out of the truck — this mesa-top camp operated from 1916 to 1980, pulling uranium, vanadium, and radium out of the Uncompahgre Plateau, and it supplied material that fed the Manhattan Project. Five rock cabins, a bunkhouse, horse corrals, and a cedar-post barn are still standing out here, more or less as they were left. Colorado's last uranium mine closed in 2005; this camp got put on the National Register in 2011 and has been slowly decomposing into the sagebrush ever since.

The move: Drive the 16-mile dirt road off Hwy 141 onto Calamity Mesa, walk the camp with the BLM map in hand, and let the radiation warning sign do the explaining.

📍 Before you go High-clearance 4WD required — the access road is 16 miles of dirt off Hwy 141, roughly 4 miles east of Gateway; pickup a BLM map from the Grand Junction Field Office (970-244-3000) before heading out. Tent camping on-site; dogs allowed on leash.

• 📍 Gateway
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

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