I hiked 8 miles to an eerie ghost town filled with crumbling homes and felt like I'd traveled back in time

Monica HumphriesOct 30, 2021, 16:35 IST

The author hiked to an abandoned homestead outside of Estes Park, Colorado.Monica Humphries/Insider

I hiked Homestead Meadows, a trail in Colorado that leads to abandoned buildings built in the 1800s.
I explored two out of eight homesteads in the area; seeing them all would have required a 15-mile hike.

Tucked in the back of pine and aspen forests in Estes Park, Colorado, is Homestead Meadows - a ghost town from the 1800s.

A structure on the Homestead Meadows Trail. Monica Humphries/Insider

The deserted town is the result of the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed people to claim ownership of land to build homes and communities, according to Uncover Colorado.

Settlers in Nebraska who took advantage of the 1862 Homestead Act. (Homestead Meadows not pictured.) Bettmann/Getty Images

The deserted town is the result of the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed people to claim ownership of land to build homes and communities, according to Uncover Colorado.

On a recent trip to Estes Park, I set out to visit Homestead Meadows. The area's first resident settled there in 1889, and its last residents left in 1952, Uncover Colorado reported.

Homestead Meadows sits between two popular Colorado towns, Lyons and Estes Park. Google Maps

On a recent trip to Estes Park, I set out to visit Homestead Meadows. The area's first resident settled there in 1889, and its last residents left in 1952, Uncover Colorado reported.

The trail is located in the back of a camping area called Hermit Park Open Space. I paid a $9 entry fee to access the area, taking a 6.5-mile hike that would lead to the abandoned ghost town.

The entrance to Hermit Park Open Space. Monica Humphries/Insider

The trail is located in the back of a camping area called Hermit Park Open Space. I paid a $9 entry fee to access the area, taking a 6.5-mile hike that would lead to the abandoned ghost town.

After driving down a winding path, I made it to the trailhead. My goal was to hike three miles to the Irvin Homestead, which is the most complete homestead in the area, according to Outdoor Project.

A sign points to the different areas of the Irvin homestead. Monica Humphries/Insider

After driving down a winding path, I made it to the trailhead. My goal was to hike three miles to the Irvin Homestead, which is the most complete homestead in the area, according to Outdoor Project.

As I started the hike, I found myself completely alone in a cloud of thick fog. It felt like stepping back in time since the trails I was walking along were once old wagon roads.

Aspen trees lined many of the trail's paths. Monica Humphries/Insider

As I started the hike, I found myself completely alone in a cloud of thick fog. It felt like stepping back in time since the trails I was walking along were once old wagon roads.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many of the men living in Homestead Meadows would travel to the nearby town of Lyons for work during the week. Each weekend, they'd make the long journey home back to their families, according to Uncover Colorado.

A homesteader's cabin and wagon in Echo Park. (Homestead Meadows not pictured.) Nadja Rider/Shutterstock

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many of the men living in Homestead Meadows would travel to the nearby town of Lyons for work during the week. Each weekend, they'd make the long journey home back to their families, according to Uncover Colorado.

After a little over an hour of hiking, I arrived only to be met with disappointment. The singular building I saw was a collapsed wood structure.

The first building hikers see on the Homestead Meadows Trail. Monica Humphries/Insider

Fearing there wouldn't be any other remaining parts of the homestead, which once had a house, sawmill, barn, bathhouse, and outhouse, I searched around the area. Through the fog, I spotted another building.

An arrow points to a second house in the fog. Monica Humphries/Insider

Fearing there wouldn't be any other remaining parts of the homestead, which once had a house, sawmill, barn, bathhouse, and outhouse, I searched around the area. Through the fog, I spotted another building.

This building was still standing and in better condition than the first. The house would've been built by the landowner and settler, Frank Irvin. Later, R. J. Nettleton moved onto the homestead to operate a sawmill and raise rabbits, according to Colorado's Incredible Backcountry Trails.

The back of the second structure on the Homestead Meadows Trail. Monica Humphries/Insider

This building was still standing and in better condition than the first. The house would've been built by the landowner and settler, Frank Irvin. Later, R. J. Nettleton moved onto the homestead to operate a sawmill and raise rabbits, according to Colorado's Incredible Backcountry Trails.

Inside the home, there were four rooms, and items from its previous residents scattered the wooden house.

The interior of one of the homes on the Irvin Homestead. Monica Humphries/Insider

A rusting Welch's grape juice can and Vernor's Ginger Ale can sat on the mantel. It was incredible to think that the settlers not only built the buildings themselves but also survived Colorado's harsh winters in the uninsulated homes.

Four cans lined the mantel of the home. Monica Humphries/Insider

A rusting Welch's grape juice can and Vernor's Ginger Ale can sat on the mantel. It was incredible to think that the settlers not only built the buildings themselves but also survived Colorado's harsh winters in the uninsulated homes.

In another room of the house, there was an old porcelain-faced cooking stove.

Through the crumbling building, I spotted an old stove. Monica Humphries/Insider

Life wouldn't have been easy for the settlers, whose jobs ranged from farming and selling timber to raising cattle, according to Colorado's Incredible Backcountry Trails.

A family pose with their wagon in Loup Valley, Nebraska, on their way to their new homestead. (Homestead Meadows not pictured.) MPI/Getty Images

Life wouldn't have been easy for the settlers, whose jobs ranged from farming and selling timber to raising cattle, according to Colorado's Incredible Backcountry Trails.

Outside of the second home, I noticed a trail leading into a forested area. I explored the area and discovered another abandoned building.

The third abandoned building I came across. Monica Humphries/Insider

I was inside the Irvin bathhouse, where water once flowed from a nearby spring. The structure was slanted and decaying, and today the bathtub is the only thing that remains.

One crumbling building only had a bathtub covered in mold. Monica Humphries/Insider

I was inside the Irvin bathhouse, where water once flowed from a nearby spring. The structure was slanted and decaying, and today the bathtub is the only thing that remains.

There are eight different homesteads in the area, according to the USDA Forest Service. But a hike to all eight would be more than 15 miles - a journey I wasn't prepared for.

The interior of the second abandoned building I spotted. Monica Humphries/Insider

There are eight different homesteads in the area, according to the USDA Forest Service. But a hike to all eight would be more than 15 miles - a journey I wasn't prepared for.

So I decided to trek back to my car. This time, I took a slightly different route that led to one final homestead on my hike.

The final house the author visited on the Homestead Meadows hike. Monica Humphries/Insider

While I saw just two homesteads, the decaying buildings helped provide a glimpse into what life was like in Colorado decades ago.

The author in front of the bathhouse. Monica Humphries/Insider

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I hiked 8 miles to an eerie ghost town filled with crumbling homes and felt like I'd traveled back in time

Tucked in the back of pine and aspen forests in Estes Park, Colorado, is Homestead Meadows - a ghost town from the 1800s.

The deserted town is the result of the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed people to claim ownership of land to build homes and communities, according to Uncover Colorado.

On a recent trip to Estes Park, I set out to visit Homestead Meadows. The area's first resident settled there in 1889, and its last residents left in 1952, Uncover Colorado reported.

The trail is located in the back of a camping area called Hermit Park Open Space. I paid a $9 entry fee to access the area, taking a 6.5-mile hike that would lead to the abandoned ghost town.

After driving down a winding path, I made it to the trailhead. My goal was to hike three miles to the Irvin Homestead, which is the most complete homestead in the area, according to Outdoor Project.

As I started the hike, I found myself completely alone in a cloud of thick fog. It felt like stepping back in time since the trails I was walking along were once old wagon roads.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many of the men living in Homestead Meadows would travel to the nearby town of Lyons for work during the week. Each weekend, they'd make the long journey home back to their families, according to Uncover Colorado.

After a little over an hour of hiking, I arrived only to be met with disappointment. The singular building I saw was a collapsed wood structure.

Fearing there wouldn't be any other remaining parts of the homestead, which once had a house, sawmill, barn, bathhouse, and outhouse, I searched around the area. Through the fog, I spotted another building.

This building was still standing and in better condition than the first. The house would've been built by the landowner and settler, Frank Irvin. Later, R. J. Nettleton moved onto the homestead to operate a sawmill and raise rabbits, according to Colorado's Incredible Backcountry Trails.

Inside the home, there were four rooms, and items from its previous residents scattered the wooden house.

A rusting Welch's grape juice can and Vernor's Ginger Ale can sat on the mantel. It was incredible to think that the settlers not only built the buildings themselves but also survived Colorado's harsh winters in the uninsulated homes.

In another room of the house, there was an old porcelain-faced cooking stove.

Life wouldn't have been easy for the settlers, whose jobs ranged from farming and selling timber to raising cattle, according to Colorado's Incredible Backcountry Trails.

Outside of the second home, I noticed a trail leading into a forested area. I explored the area and discovered another abandoned building.

I was inside the Irvin bathhouse, where water once flowed from a nearby spring. The structure was slanted and decaying, and today the bathtub is the only thing that remains.

There are eight different homesteads in the area, according to the USDA Forest Service. But a hike to all eight would be more than 15 miles - a journey I wasn't prepared for.

So I decided to trek back to my car. This time, I took a slightly different route that led to one final homestead on my hike.

While I saw just two homesteads, the decaying buildings helped provide a glimpse into what life was like in Colorado decades ago.