TELLER CITY
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TELLER CITY |
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NAME: Teller City COUNTY: Jackson ROADS: 2WD GRID: 1 CLIMATE: Can't access in winter, easy access spring, summer and fall, 8200ft above sea level. BEST TIME TO VISIT: Accessible from mid-April to mid-November. |
COMMENTS:
This a true ghost town with no residents and competely abandoned. Head south of Walden, Colorado on Hwy. 125 approximately 25 miles to the town of Rand then another two miles to the Old Homestead turnoff. Turn left and follow county road 21 along the Illinois river for approximately 12 miles and follow the signs to Teller City. Fine brook and cutthroat trout fishing in local streams and ponds plus you can pan for gold in any of the streams and actually find some color. Plenty of beautiful scenery and lots of wildlife in the area. Also a number of nice camping spots all along the way in the national forest. The only commercial cabins in the area is the Old Homestead cabins and resort - they are very rustic but clean. Roads can be nasty when it rains or snows. UPDATE:We tried visiting Teller City yesterday in Jackson County , CO - We live about an hour away so it wasn't a long drive, however due to the beetle kill trees in the area, the Forest Service has indefinitely closed Teller City due to blowdown danger. You can apparently get a permit or get a ranger out there to go yet I have not contacted the Forest Service about the details. It has been closed since 2008 according to the signs. There is a lot of logging going on just before you get to the historic site however it does not appear they have begun tree removal in the site itself. We didn't have the money to afford the $5000 fee is we were caught in there so unfortunately we didn't get to check it out.Amy Zutterling UPDATE: We visited Teller City (Jackson County, Colorado) the weekend of July 30th and the Forest Service has posted signs as to the closure of the area. The sign says they will reopen the area on October 31st 2011. Due to the large amount of pine beetle kill in the area, I'd speculate that the Forest Service is spraying the area in order to try to preserve the buildings in the area. However, you can still access the road and hike to the Gaslight mine if you choose to do so but will need at least a high clearance 2WD (pickup) to clear the rocks. Shawn UPDATE: 2015 closure was due to logging and site has been reopened REMAINS: Parts of cabins still standing and lots of old foundations. |
| Teller City was a true boom and bust town high in the Colorado Rockies. Silver was discovered in 1879 and by 1882 the town boomed and the population exceeded 1800. There was a 40 room hotel and 27 saloons and hundreds of log cabins. The cabins were usually one room with an outhouse within 100 feet. However, there were a few larger cabins built. The residents even started to construct a series of streets for wagons and buggies. In 1884, the price of silver dropped so quickly that the residents abandoned the town almost overnight. Dirty dishes were left on tables and clothes were left hanging in the closets. Submitted by: Jay Warburton |
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