Saint Elmo

St. Elmo calls itself “Colorado’s best-preserved ghost town.” While that may be true, St. Elmo really is a strange hybrid between a mecca for off-road vehicle enthusiasts and a ghost town in transition.

There are several old buildings in St. Elmo, all privately-owned, and they offer the skeleton of the original town. The setting is spectacular; the town is deep in the valley between Mount Princeton and Mount Antero with the Continental Divide behind. Aspens dominate the hillsides. There are significant ongoing projects to restore and preserve the old buildings and sidewalks, and construction is a constant companion here. There are a few small lodging options, a general store, and an antique “yard.” A few people reside here at least in summer, so it is not a ghost town strictly speaking. Add to that the popularity with general tourists and off-road vehicle riders, and the town can be very busy.

That being said, it is really worthwhile to stroll down the main street and take in all the old buildings--much of the town is closed to cars. At the end of Main Street, keep going as the road turns into a trail and loops back above the town through the woods. This walk is beautiful, and almost no one takes it. For a more challenging hike, the trail up Poplar Gulch is beautiful in the fall, or any time really, and it can be followed for a dozen miles.