Entry No. 17 — the Grand Junction file — filed under: roadside-oddity
Redstone Coke Ovens
Those mounds along Highway 133 aren't ruins of some lost civilization — they're 90 of the original 249 beehive coke ovens CF&I fired up in 1899 for John Osgood's steel empire. Slack coal went in the top, burned at 2,400°F for 48 hours until everything but carbon cooked off, then got quenched with Crystal River water and shipped to the Pueblo blast furnaces. Dead by 1909. Pitkin County restored four nearly to firing condition; the rest crumble on purpose.
The move: Time the McClure Pass drive for golden hour, walk the 600-foot arc of ovens together, then cross the river into Redstone's one-street downtown for a drink at the 1902 Redstone Inn.
📍 Before you go The ovens line the west side of Highway 133 right where Redstone Boulevard crosses the Crystal River into town; a small gravel pull-off with an interpretive plaque sits at Chair Mountain Stables Road. The self-guided path along the arc is flat and short — twenty minutes covers it, dogs welcome. It is an open roadside site with no gate, but stay out of the oven mouths; the unrestored ones are fragile and removing material is prohibited. Pair it with Redstone's boulevard of Osgood-era cottages and the castle across the river.
- 📍 Redstone
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Highway 133 at Chair Mountain Stables Road, Redstone, CO 81623
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4
last checked: 2026-06-11