Entry No. 46 — the Grand Junction file — filed under: history

Ute Cemetery

Established in 1880 when a Texas prospector died of mountain fever before Aspen had any formal burial ground, Ute Cemetery holds roughly 175 graves on a 4.7-acre wooded ridge off Ute Avenue — modest headstones, iron-fence plots, and cobblestone coping marking the working-class underbelly of the silver-boom era. About 50 Civil War veterans occupy the eastern section in two organized rows, their government-issue white markers arriving by train in 1890. The western half fans out in a random pattern; only 25 graves carry identifying markers. An 1880s avalanche season claimed multiple miners buried here, and one grave belongs to Francis Deacon Jones, the only documented Black resident, who led prayer meetings among Aspen's small Black community and died in 1919 with his plot left unmarked. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 and thoroughly restored, it remains free and open to the public.

The move: Walk the narrow restored paths at dusk when Aspen's ski-town noise drops away. Read the sandstone entrance tablet listing Union veterans, hunt for the 1890 government-issue markers in their battle-formation rows, and let the unmarked graves — half the cemetery — carry the actual weight of the place.

📍 Before you go No fee, no reservation. Open sunrise to sunset year-round; the cemetery sits at 8,000 feet and Ute Avenue can be icy or snow-packed November through April — wear appropriate footwear. Dogs must be leashed. Bikes and vehicles are prohibited inside the grounds. Gravestone rubbing is permitted; a brochure with guidance is available from the City of Aspen. Street parking on Ute Avenue. Grand Junction to Aspen is roughly 2.25 hours via CO-82 over Independence Pass (closed in winter — use US-6 through Glenwood Canyon instead, adding 30-40 minutes).

• 📍 Aspen
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: Ute Avenue just east of Ute Place, southeastern Aspen, CO 81611

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 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-11