Visiting a ghost townwhat with their shuttered-and-dusty charm, vast mining histories and Old West appearances — is a quintessential Colorado experience. And while many ghost towns require a four-wheel-drive vehicle for navigating precarious dirt roads, and others barely remain intact from their mining heydays, St. Elmo is a Western favorite for many reasons. St. Elmo was founded in 1880 because of the many gold and silver claims surrounding the scenic, creekside mountain town. It’s is easily accessed — even by normal cars — just 25 miles southwest of Buena Vista. St. Elmo is also immaculately maintained by its caretakers, some of whom operate the St. Elmo General Store. It’s the one-stop shop in the center of town and the go-to place for absolutely everything in this historic town (save the rest rooms, which are west of the store around the bend in the road). For adventure junkies, the general store offers ATV and Jeep rentals starting at $100-$150 per half day. For antiques aficionados, the store offers a massive yard and several adjoined garage/shed-type spaces full of signs, horseshoes, fans, lamps and more. History buffs will appreciate the thoughtfuly written narration that comes with a walk along St. Elmo’s main street, which addresses fires, minerals, tunnels and more. Ricardo Baca
STAY: Hahn’s Haven(15656 County Road 289A in Nathrop; 719-395-8432; ) is a quaint, kid- and pet-friendly bed and breakfast about 10 miles down the hill from St. Elmo. There are a couple of great B&Bs along this section of Chalk Creek, but Hahn’s, run by former Westminster resident Melody Ann Hahn, is a cute and clean night’s stay that pays attention to the details. The view from the B&B’s deck is worth a night or two at the very least, and it’s also a short driving distance to multiple hot springs and, of course, St. Elmo.Rates at Hahn’s start at $89 a night. (The ghost town’s general store also offers basic cabins for rent.)
DINE: In St. Elmo, the dining experience is a bit topsy-turvy. While you can find basic nourishment and ice cream bars at the general store, you can also treat the local not-so-wildlife to a nice meal by dropping a couple of quarters in the box in front of the store and grabbing a bag of chipmunk food. It may sound silly, but it’s easy to lose 30 minutes while sitting on the wood pile across from the store and feeding a community of incredibly friendly (and cute, natch) chipmunks, who will eat out of your hand, crawl on your legs and beg for more. St. Elmo is 140 miles southwest of Denver via U.S. 285 and Colorado 162.
