Colorado is home to  over 650 ghost towns, each with its own unique story to tell. But as I learn more about these fascinating places, I am also discovering, research can be a bit tedious.

There are a number of factors that make researching ghost towns in Colorado so challenging. First, many of these towns are located in remote areas, making it difficult to get to them. Second, the information that is available about them is often scattered and incomplete. Many of the buildings and other structures in ghost towns are in a state of disrepair, making it difficult to get a good look at them. But there are others who’ve been doing this and there is a wealth of information available on many of the major, intact locations.

Despite these challenges, researching ghost towns in Colorado can be a rewarding experience. By piecing together the available information, I am learning more about the people who lived in these towns, the industries that supported them, and the events that led to their decline. You can also get a glimpse into the past and see what life was like in Colorado before the arrival of the modern world.

I start by doing a general internet search. My current list of potential targets has grown to over 40 locations, some of which I have already visited and photographed. There are a number of websites that offer good information about ghost towns in Colorado. I’ve also found that Chat GPT is helping to some degree, however, the results can often lead me on goose-chases. Chat GPT is not exactly accurate much of the time.

Researching ghost towns in Colorado can be a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun. By taking the time to learn about these fascinating places, I gain a deeper appreciation for the history of Colorado and the people who have called it home.

It requires patience, persistence and some level of creativity to dig in to all of this, but I’m well underway with a new project and I hope it gives me a lot of adventures down the road.

Right now I am in the process of finding these places on Google Earth and marking them. I’m also marking them in my DeLorme Atlas, so when I am in an area where I’ve identified a ghost town location, I can make a trip to another ghost town.