Colorado Ghost Towns

Colorado has almost as many dead towns and live ones. Mining boom and bust left the mountains littered with more than 300 ghost towns. The closest ghost town to Winter Park is Corona. You can find a map of Corona Road and historical markers at the Winter Park Visitor Center.

In 1928 a tunnel was completed beneath the pass, and the rails over it were no longer used, and the town of Corona was abandoned. The rails over the pass were left in place as an emergency route in case of a cave in in the tunnel until 1936, when they were finally picked up. What was left of the town was dismantled and burned by the U.S.Forest Service including snow sheds and the brick hotel.

There was a second ghost town on this road called Arrow. Arrow was larger than Corona, and had a Jail, post office, saloons, hotels, a stock yards, and a regular population that stayed year round, and was thought to have been the first town built in Grand County. As with Corona, nothing is left except the railroad grade and some foundations.

Both towns died when the rails no longer passed by.