I hiked to an abandoned Colorado mine that once held dreams of gold. Today, it's a ghost town said to be worth millions of dollars.

Monica HumphriesOct 2, 2022, 16:48 IST

An abandoned cabin at the Boston Mine ghost town.Monica Humphries/Insider

The Boston Mine formed in the late 1800s when gold was found near Mayflower Gulch, Colorado.
The gold was deemed impure, so settlers abandoned the mine and camp leaving behind a ghost town.

Soaring mountains surround a cluster of abandoned buildings in Summit County, Colorado. Decaying today, the structures were once home to miners who dreamed of gold in the late 1800s, according to Backpacker.

The Boston Mine ghost town on the Mayflower Gulch Trail in Colorado.Monica Humphries/Insider

Soaring mountains surround a cluster of abandoned buildings in Summit County, Colorado. Decaying today, the structures were once home to miners who dreamed of gold in the late 1800s, according to Backpacker.

The abandoned buildings make up the Boston Mine ghost town, which sits in the V-shaped valley of the Mayflower Gulch.

Two structures of the abandoned Boston Mine.Monica Humphries/Insider

In the late 1800s, miners were on the hunt for gold and silver across the West. A group discovered a vein of gold in the mountains surrounding the Mayflower Gulch and built mines, trams, homes, and a boarding house, according to Backpacker.

A portrait of gold miners in Telluride, Colorado, in 1880. (Boston miners not pictured.)Camerique/Getty Images

In the late 1800s, miners were on the hunt for gold and silver across the West. A group discovered a vein of gold in the mountains surrounding the Mayflower Gulch and built mines, trams, homes, and a boarding house, according to Backpacker.

But as reported in Backpacker, the gold they mined had impurities and wasn't profitable. The same source reports that miners abandoned the valley for more prosperous areas and left behind a ghost town.

Four abandoned buildings on the Mayflower Gulch trail.Monica Humphries/Insider

But as reported in Backpacker, the gold they mined had impurities and wasn't profitable. The same source reports that miners abandoned the valley for more prosperous areas and left behind a ghost town.

Early one summer morning, I set out on Highway 91 heading toward Leadville, Colorado, to hike the Mayflower Gulch Trail and explore the abandoned buildings.

A map of where the Mayflower Gulch Trail is located.Monica Humphries/Insider

After an hour-and-a-half drive from Denver, I reached a parking lot. There, visitors have two options: they can either park and hike to the abandoned Boston Mine or drive along an old wagon road to the ghost town's entrance.

From the entrance to the Mayflower Gulch trail, I could spot a handful of abandoned houses.Monica Humphries/Insider

After an hour-and-a-half drive from Denver, I reached a parking lot. There, visitors have two options: they can either park and hike to the abandoned Boston Mine or drive along an old wagon road to the ghost town's entrance.

Unsure if my Subaru could handle the road's conditions, I opted to hike to the ghost town, which added an extra three miles to my six-mile hike. The trail has a variety of routes, and the main ghost town is a short hike from the upper parking lot.

At the start of the trail, visitors have the choice to continue driving or start their hike.Monica Humphries/Insider

Unsure if my Subaru could handle the road's conditions, I opted to hike to the ghost town, which added an extra three miles to my six-mile hike. The trail has a variety of routes, and the main ghost town is a short hike from the upper parking lot.

As I hiked up the wide, rocky path through spur and fir trees, I spotted my first sign of the region's mining past: a wooden cabin along the old wagon road. This would be the first of nine structures I saw scattered along the trail.

The first sign of the ghost town on the Mayflower Gulch Trail.Monica Humphries/Insider

As I hiked up the wide, rocky path through spur and fir trees, I spotted my first sign of the region's mining past: a wooden cabin along the old wagon road. This would be the first of nine structures I saw scattered along the trail.

I peered inside the crumbling cabin and eyed what looked like a rusted oven, which would be decades old by this point, I thought.

The rusted oven inside the first cabin on the Mayflower Gulch Trail.Monica Humphries/Insider

Farther up the trail, I spotted more ruins. Slightly above eye level, there's an abandoned structure that was part of the old mining process, according to Summit Daily. Called an ore chute, this was used to move the heavy rock into wagons.

The wood structure was likely an old ore chute.Monica Humphries/Insider

Farther up the trail, I spotted more ruins. Slightly above eye level, there's an abandoned structure that was part of the old mining process, according to Summit Daily. Called an ore chute, this was used to move the heavy rock into wagons.

Dotted along the mountains are mine entrances, and sure enough, behind the structure was an opening. Today, the areas are often fenced off and unstable, so I admired this one from a distance and continued along the path.

An arrow points to where miners would've entered the mine.Monica Humphries/Insider

Dotted along the mountains are mine entrances, and sure enough, behind the structure was an opening. Today, the areas are often fenced off and unstable, so I admired this one from a distance and continued along the path.

After hiking a little more than a mile, I reached the largest portion of the ghost town. In the vast expanse, I could spot three buildings at the base of the grand mountains.

The entrance to the ghost town.Monica Humphries/Insider

After hiking a little more than a mile, I reached the largest portion of the ghost town. In the vast expanse, I could spot three buildings at the base of the grand mountains.

Standing amid the ruins, I had a nearly 360-degree view of mountains. To the south, north, and east were mountains reaching nearly 14,000 feet above sea level. To the west was a vast valley and a trailing creek.

The view of Mayflower Gulch as a cloud passes over the sun.Monica Humphries/Insider

Standing amid the ruins, I had a nearly 360-degree view of mountains. To the south, north, and east were mountains reaching nearly 14,000 feet above sea level. To the west was a vast valley and a trailing creek.

As for the abandoned buildings, there wasn't much left from the mining camp. The first building I approached was by far the largest.

The largest abandoned cabin in the ghost town.Monica Humphries/Insider

According to Backpacker, the Boston Mine camp had a boarding house, where unmarried miners would have likely lived while working at the mine. This large building could've been that, and I imagined it'd be similar to hostels I've slept in — crowded and filled with just the necessities. Though, I had no way of knowing for sure.

A view of the Boston mine ghost town.Monica Humphries/Insider

According to Backpacker, the Boston Mine camp had a boarding house, where unmarried miners would have likely lived while working at the mine. This large building could've been that, and I imagined it'd be similar to hostels I've slept in — crowded and filled with just the necessities. Though, I had no way of knowing for sure.

According to Breckenridge History, the miners of Summit County walked from their homes to the mine each morning before 7 a.m. I was hiking on a sunny day, and I couldn't imagine trekking through the snow with a long day of work ahead.

A stereograph of a miner carrying equipment while walking across a shallow creek in Colorado in 1874.Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

According to Breckenridge History, the miners of Summit County walked from their homes to the mine each morning before 7 a.m. I was hiking on a sunny day, and I couldn't imagine trekking through the snow with a long day of work ahead.

I continued along the trail and spotted more empty, eerie buildings. I peeked inside one, where I saw insulation was peeling from the ceiling and floorboards that had chipped away over the years.

The interior of one of the abandoned buildings.Monica Humphries/Insider

I continued along the trail and spotted more empty, eerie buildings. I peeked inside one, where I saw insulation was peeling from the ceiling and floorboards that had chipped away over the years.

Unsure if there were any more abandoned buildings along the trail, I kept hiking. I was glad I did. In the distance, I spotted another cabin and a narrow, tall building.

Arrows point to another cabin and ore shoot that are part of the ghost town.Monica Humphries/Insider

Unsure if there were any more abandoned buildings along the trail, I kept hiking. I was glad I did. In the distance, I spotted another cabin and a narrow, tall building.

The tall structure was likely another part of the mine.

A view of the second ore cute I spotted at the abandoned Boston Mine.Monica Humphries/Insider

I've seen plenty of abandoned cabins dating around the same time, but I've never seen anything like this before. The building was at least two stories tall, and I was impressed it was still standing all these years later.

A side view of the building along the Mayflower Gulch Trail.Monica Humphries/Insider

I've seen plenty of abandoned cabins dating around the same time, but I've never seen anything like this before. The building was at least two stories tall, and I was impressed it was still standing all these years later.

From the building, a long cable stretched more than halfway up the mountain, which I imagine was part of the mining process. As I followed the cable, I spotted an entrance to another mine.

An arrow points to the entrance of the mine.Monica Humphries/Insider

From the building, a long cable stretched more than halfway up the mountain, which I imagine was part of the mining process. As I followed the cable, I spotted an entrance to another mine.

According to Breckenridge History, these entrances would be used by workers who would enter the mine with their drill steels, hammers, and lunch, with their days illuminated only by candlelight. Miners would mine, muckers would shovel crushed rock into ore cars, and trammers would push the cars to the surface, the same source reported.

Miners work at Little Giant Mine in the Pike National Forest in Colorado in the early 1900s. (Boston Mine not pictured.)CORBIS/Corbis/Getty Images

According to Breckenridge History, these entrances would be used by workers who would enter the mine with their drill steels, hammers, and lunch, with their days illuminated only by candlelight. Miners would mine, muckers would shovel crushed rock into ore cars, and trammers would push the cars to the surface, the same source reported.

All around the narrow building I saw relics from the past. It made my morning feel more like a scavenger hunt than a hike.

A rusty relic along the trail.Monica Humphries/Insider

Along one sloping hill, I noticed dozens, if not hundreds, of rusting cans.

One area of the trail was filled with rusting cans.Monica Humphries/Insider

On another section of the trail, I spotted what appeared to be abandoned mining equipment with thick layers of rust.

A relic from the old mine along the Mayflower Gulch trail.Monica Humphries/Insider

I later learned that some of the equipment could've been more recent. According to Copper Colorado Condos, people returned to the area in the 1980s to try their luck again when the price of gold skyrocketed to $800 an ounce.

A part of the abandoned mining camp along the Mayflower Gulch Trail.Monica Humphries/Insider

I later learned that some of the equipment could've been more recent. According to Copper Colorado Condos, people returned to the area in the 1980s to try their luck again when the price of gold skyrocketed to $800 an ounce.

The same source reports that the new residents stabilized the abandoned buildings and attempted to mine. But like the original miners, they were unsuccessful. They, too, left behind a ghost town.

A view through the window of one of the abandoned buildings.Monica Humphries/Insider

The same source reports that the new residents stabilized the abandoned buildings and attempted to mine. But like the original miners, they were unsuccessful. They, too, left behind a ghost town.

Today, the surrounding mountains still have deposits of gold, according to The Denver Post, and one expert estimated in 2009 that there's anywhere between $15 million and $50 million worth of gold tucked away in the mountains. However, it would likely need to go through an expensive refining process to be of any value, according to Britannica.

Stored in the mountains are millions of dollars worth of gold.Monica Humphries/Insider

Today, the surrounding mountains still have deposits of gold, according to The Denver Post, and one expert estimated in 2009 that there's anywhere between $15 million and $50 million worth of gold tucked away in the mountains. However, it would likely need to go through an expensive refining process to be of any value, according to Britannica.

But the treasure will remain buried deep in the rock. Today, the ghost town and its gold are protected by Summit County. In 2009, the county expanded the trail and purchased an additional 129 acres of adjacent land, which included the tall building and surrounding mountainous area, according to The Denver Post.

The Mayflower Gulch Trail.Monica Humphries/Insider

But the treasure will remain buried deep in the rock. Today, the ghost town and its gold are protected by Summit County. In 2009, the county expanded the trail and purchased an additional 129 acres of adjacent land, which included the tall building and surrounding mountainous area, according to The Denver Post.

I wrapped up my hike by scarfing down a sandwich and admiring the abandoned buildings. While I didn't strike gold, I did gain a new appreciation for the miners and their ambition.

I ate a quick bite and admired the ghost town before hiking back to my car.Monica Humphries/Insider

I wrapped up my hike by scarfing down a sandwich and admiring the abandoned buildings. While I didn't strike gold, I did gain a new appreciation for the miners and their ambition.

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I hiked to an abandoned Colorado mine that once held dreams of gold. Today, it's a ghost town said to be worth millions of dollars.

Soaring mountains surround a cluster of abandoned buildings in Summit County, Colorado. Decaying today, the structures were once home to miners who dreamed of gold in the late 1800s, according to Backpacker.

The abandoned buildings make up the Boston Mine ghost town, which sits in the V-shaped valley of the Mayflower Gulch.

In the late 1800s, miners were on the hunt for gold and silver across the West. A group discovered a vein of gold in the mountains surrounding the Mayflower Gulch and built mines, trams, homes, and a boarding house, according to Backpacker.

But as reported in Backpacker, the gold they mined had impurities and wasn't profitable. The same source reports that miners abandoned the valley for more prosperous areas and left behind a ghost town.

Early one summer morning, I set out on Highway 91 heading toward Leadville, Colorado, to hike the Mayflower Gulch Trail and explore the abandoned buildings.

After an hour-and-a-half drive from Denver, I reached a parking lot. There, visitors have two options: they can either park and hike to the abandoned Boston Mine or drive along an old wagon road to the ghost town's entrance.

Unsure if my Subaru could handle the road's conditions, I opted to hike to the ghost town, which added an extra three miles to my six-mile hike. The trail has a variety of routes, and the main ghost town is a short hike from the upper parking lot.

As I hiked up the wide, rocky path through spur and fir trees, I spotted my first sign of the region's mining past: a wooden cabin along the old wagon road. This would be the first of nine structures I saw scattered along the trail.

I peered inside the crumbling cabin and eyed what looked like a rusted oven, which would be decades old by this point, I thought.

Farther up the trail, I spotted more ruins. Slightly above eye level, there's an abandoned structure that was part of the old mining process, according to Summit Daily. Called an ore chute, this was used to move the heavy rock into wagons.

Dotted along the mountains are mine entrances, and sure enough, behind the structure was an opening. Today, the areas are often fenced off and unstable, so I admired this one from a distance and continued along the path.

After hiking a little more than a mile, I reached the largest portion of the ghost town. In the vast expanse, I could spot three buildings at the base of the grand mountains.

Standing amid the ruins, I had a nearly 360-degree view of mountains. To the south, north, and east were mountains reaching nearly 14,000 feet above sea level. To the west was a vast valley and a trailing creek.

As for the abandoned buildings, there wasn't much left from the mining camp. The first building I approached was by far the largest.

According to Breckenridge History, the miners of Summit County walked from their homes to the mine each morning before 7 a.m. I was hiking on a sunny day, and I couldn't imagine trekking through the snow with a long day of work ahead.

I continued along the trail and spotted more empty, eerie buildings. I peeked inside one, where I saw insulation was peeling from the ceiling and floorboards that had chipped away over the years.

Unsure if there were any more abandoned buildings along the trail, I kept hiking. I was glad I did. In the distance, I spotted another cabin and a narrow, tall building.

The tall structure was likely another part of the mine.

I've seen plenty of abandoned cabins dating around the same time, but I've never seen anything like this before. The building was at least two stories tall, and I was impressed it was still standing all these years later.

From the building, a long cable stretched more than halfway up the mountain, which I imagine was part of the mining process. As I followed the cable, I spotted an entrance to another mine.

All around the narrow building I saw relics from the past. It made my morning feel more like a scavenger hunt than a hike.

Along one sloping hill, I noticed dozens, if not hundreds, of rusting cans.

On another section of the trail, I spotted what appeared to be abandoned mining equipment with thick layers of rust.

I later learned that some of the equipment could've been more recent. According to Copper Colorado Condos, people returned to the area in the 1980s to try their luck again when the price of gold skyrocketed to $800 an ounce.

The same source reports that the new residents stabilized the abandoned buildings and attempted to mine. But like the original miners, they were unsuccessful. They, too, left behind a ghost town.

I wrapped up my hike by scarfing down a sandwich and admiring the abandoned buildings. While I didn't strike gold, I did gain a new appreciation for the miners and their ambition.