Ashcroft Ghost Town
The ruins of an 1880s silver-mining town, its wooden cabins scattered across alpine meadows in the Castle Creek valley, a nostalgic spot for photographs.
Ashcroft lies in the Castle Creek valley about 18 km south of Aspen. It rose on silver mining in 1880 and at its peak had about 2,500 residents, but it was soon abandoned after the ore ran out. Today more than ten wooden buildings survive, including a saloon, a hotel and a post office, maintained by the Aspen Historical Society. In summer there are guides, and a small donation is requested for entry. The backdrop of alpine meadows and snowy peaks is especially photogenic in autumn, when the aspens turn gold. In winter, nearby Ashcroft Ski Touring offers cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and the Pine Creek Cookhouse restaurant can be reached by horse-drawn sleigh. It is about a 25-minute drive along Castle Creek Road.
Opening hours
Summer approx. 09:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Grottos Trail
- Aspen Mountain (Ajax) & Silver Queen Gondola
- Wheeler Opera House
- Downtown Aspen
- Smuggler Mountain Trail
- Aspen Highlands
- John Denver Sanctuary
- Aspen Art Museum