Crystal, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Crystal is a ghost town
in a valley on the upper Crystal River
in Gunnison County
, Colorado
, United States
, on a four-wheel-drive road between Marble
and Crested Butte
. Many buildings still stand in Crystal, but its few residents live there only in the summer.
Crystal is surrounded by excellent fly fishing
(trout
), hunting (deer
and elk
), hiking
, mountain biking
and 4x4 terrain, and can be reached via tours from the town of Marble
. The upper Crystal River Valley is nestled between two wilderness areas. The Raggeds Wilderness Area to the south and Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area to the north.
, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1985.
and Crested Butte
via Crystal and Schofield Pass
. Much of the road is four-wheel drive only. The section of the road from Marble
to Crystal includes narrow shelf roads and very rocky sections. The section of the road from Crystal to Schofield Pass
traverses the Devils Punchbowls, considered among the most dangerous 4x4 stretch of road in the state (over a dozen deaths from vehicles going over the edge). Warning: MapQuest and GPS will designate CR 3 as the shortest route. The road section from Schofield Park to Crested Butte
via the ghost town of Gothic is a relatively tame dirt and gravel road.
as early as the 1860s. At its peak, Crystal had 400+ residents in Crystal and the surrounding mining claims, two newspapers (the Crystal River Current which was later called The Silver Lance), a pool
hall, a men's club, a barber shop and two hotels. In 1915, only eight people lived there. Mining in the area included silver
, lead
, copper
, iron
, and zinc
. Very little gold
has been discovered.
Today, most of the town of Crystal is owned by the relatives of Emmet Gould. Mr. Gould bought lots, cabins, and several claims in and around Crystal during the 1940s. In 1948, the family of Welcome Joe Neal began vacationing in Crystal. The Neals now own three cabins, Robert Anderson (a descendant of George Tays who was one of Crystal's original settlers)owns one house, and Richard Beamon owns one cabin. These owners live in Crystal during the summer months only. There is a small general store, public outhouse and books sold by the local author. Some of the cabins are available for short term rental.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in a valley on the upper Crystal River
Crystal River (Colorado)
The Crystal River is a tributary of the Roaring Fork River, approximately 40 mi long, in western Colorado in the United States. It drains a glacial valley, called the Valley of the Coal Miners, south of Carbondale which was historically known as a center of coal mining in southwestern Colorado...
in Gunnison County
Gunnison County, Colorado
Gunnison County is the fifth most extensive of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado in the United States. The county population was 15,324 at the 2010 census. The county was named for John W. Gunnison, a United States Army officer and captain in the Army Topographical Engineers, who surveyed...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on a four-wheel-drive road between Marble
Marble, Colorado
Marble is a Statutory Town in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The population was 131 at the 2010 census.-History:The town of Marble was first incorporated in 1899...
and Crested Butte
Crested Butte
Crested Butte is a mountain peak butte of the Elk Mountains in the U.S. State of Colorado. It is also a town with a population of about 2000 people. The greater area includes Crested Butte, Mt. Crested Butte, Riverland, Riverbend, and Crested Butte South....
. Many buildings still stand in Crystal, but its few residents live there only in the summer.
Crystal is surrounded by excellent fly fishing
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
(trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
), hunting (deer
Deer hunting
Deer hunting is survival hunting or sport hunting, harvesting deer, dating back to tens of thousands of years ago. Which occurred though out Europe Asia and North America There are numerous types of deer throughout the world that are hunted.- New Zealand :...
and elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
), hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
and 4x4 terrain, and can be reached via tours from the town of Marble
Marble, Colorado
Marble is a Statutory Town in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The population was 131 at the 2010 census.-History:The town of Marble was first incorporated in 1899...
. The upper Crystal River Valley is nestled between two wilderness areas. The Raggeds Wilderness Area to the south and Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area to the north.
The Crystal Mill
Crystal is best known for one of the most photographed historic sites in Colorado, the Crystal MillCrystal Mill
The Crystal Mill, or the Old Mill is a 1892 wooden powerhouse located on an outcrop above the Crystal River in Crystal, Colorado, United States. Although called a mill, in is more correctly denoted as a compressor station, which used a water turbine to drive an air compressor. The compressed air...
, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1985.
Road Access To Crystal
Gunnison County Road 3 connects the towns of MarbleMarble, Colorado
Marble is a Statutory Town in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The population was 131 at the 2010 census.-History:The town of Marble was first incorporated in 1899...
and Crested Butte
Crested Butte
Crested Butte is a mountain peak butte of the Elk Mountains in the U.S. State of Colorado. It is also a town with a population of about 2000 people. The greater area includes Crested Butte, Mt. Crested Butte, Riverland, Riverbend, and Crested Butte South....
via Crystal and Schofield Pass
Schofield Pass (Colorado)
Schofield Pass is a high mountain pass located near Crested Butte CO and is one of the most popular ways to get to Snowmass Mountain. It is the high point on Gothic Road, which connects the towns of Marble and Crested Butte. The road to the summit is suitable for a passenger car if traveling from...
. Much of the road is four-wheel drive only. The section of the road from Marble
Marble, Colorado
Marble is a Statutory Town in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The population was 131 at the 2010 census.-History:The town of Marble was first incorporated in 1899...
to Crystal includes narrow shelf roads and very rocky sections. The section of the road from Crystal to Schofield Pass
Schofield Pass (Colorado)
Schofield Pass is a high mountain pass located near Crested Butte CO and is one of the most popular ways to get to Snowmass Mountain. It is the high point on Gothic Road, which connects the towns of Marble and Crested Butte. The road to the summit is suitable for a passenger car if traveling from...
traverses the Devils Punchbowls, considered among the most dangerous 4x4 stretch of road in the state (over a dozen deaths from vehicles going over the edge). Warning: MapQuest and GPS will designate CR 3 as the shortest route. The road section from Schofield Park to Crested Butte
Crested Butte
Crested Butte is a mountain peak butte of the Elk Mountains in the U.S. State of Colorado. It is also a town with a population of about 2000 people. The greater area includes Crested Butte, Mt. Crested Butte, Riverland, Riverbend, and Crested Butte South....
via the ghost town of Gothic is a relatively tame dirt and gravel road.
History
Crystal (sometimes called Crystal City) was incorporated on July 8, 1881, but minedMining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
as early as the 1860s. At its peak, Crystal had 400+ residents in Crystal and the surrounding mining claims, two newspapers (the Crystal River Current which was later called The Silver Lance), a pool
Billiards
Cue sports , also known as billiard sports, are a wide variety of games of skill generally played with a cue stick which is used to strike billiard balls, moving them around a cloth-covered billiards table bounded by rubber .Historically, the umbrella term was billiards...
hall, a men's club, a barber shop and two hotels. In 1915, only eight people lived there. Mining in the area included silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, and zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
. Very little gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
has been discovered.
Today, most of the town of Crystal is owned by the relatives of Emmet Gould. Mr. Gould bought lots, cabins, and several claims in and around Crystal during the 1940s. In 1948, the family of Welcome Joe Neal began vacationing in Crystal. The Neals now own three cabins, Robert Anderson (a descendant of George Tays who was one of Crystal's original settlers)owns one house, and Richard Beamon owns one cabin. These owners live in Crystal during the summer months only. There is a small general store, public outhouse and books sold by the local author. Some of the cabins are available for short term rental.