Crystal City

Crystal City
Marble, CO
Distance: 6 miles one-way from Beaver Lake


Six long and hard miles above Marble, Colorado lies the small ghost town of Crystal City. Usually accessible by 4WD in the late summer to fall, Crystal is a special and beautiful mountain village. Founded in the mid 1800's as a small mining and mill village, the town is now just a ghost and shadow of its former self.

Our journey began by cheating a bit and driving to the top of the first hill, cutting a well appreciated one mile off of our trek. This trip was the first time I had walked all the way back to Crystal City and it was a quite nice hike. It is not too challenging but there are some hills to climb, particularly on the way back out. In fact, I think I enjoyed the trip back on foot much more than on mountain bike or in a vehicle. The road can be quite difficult at times to manage as was the case this time, with significant debris and left over snow slides that covered the road making it impossible to pass with most motorized vehicles.

The road up can be quite crowded in the late summer with ATV’s and other outdoor enthusiasts however, this time we were literally the only two people on the entire road. This made the trip even nicer as there are very few places one can go in Colorado and not see other people. The only sounds we heard were the sounds of our own voices and the roaring Crystal River. Not even a plane over head.

About 1.5 miles in, is Lizard Lake, a small but popular fishing spot with the locals. I haven’t fished the lake since I was a very small child so, I can’t tell you what type of fish you can catch or how to catch them. If you are interested, perhaps a quick stop in at the Marble General Store (only open in the Summer) will yield the answers to these questions. The lake is small and with a mostly moss covered bottom. In the center of the small lake, the moss clears but you cannot see bottom. I have heard it rumored that the lake is actually the crater of a small volcano and is quite deep.

Just past Lizard Lake is perhaps the most difficult portion of the road to navigate in a vehicle. There is about a quarter of a mile long stretch where the road narrows to a true jeep trail. The road snuggles the side of a mountain with a significant 1,000 foot drop to the river bed below. This portion of the trip is not for the faint of heart. Once past this section, the road is mostly just bumpy and rock filled. There are a couple of other tight spots but none as drastic as the drop out of Lizard Lake. There is also some parking at the lake but, it is limited and can barely even be considered parking.

Just before reaching Crystal City, there is the other great reason to make this trip back into the mountains: The Crystal River Sawmill. The mill has braved the elements since its construction in 1892 and is perched quite delicately on the edge of a cliff next to a waterfall. The mill has been credited as one of the most photographed and painted buildings in the state. You cannot easily access the mill however, you can take wonderful photographs from across the river.
From the mill it is only about a quarter of a mile (if even that) to the actual town of Crystal City. There are summer residents that occupy a couple of the cabins and one family that operates a very small general store. Don’t let the idea of a general store fool you, if you need it, pack it in. There are no restaurants, gas stations or places to buy supplies once you leave Redstone. In fact, I recommend buying what you need in Carbondale and just bringing it with you, and making sure that you pack it all back out with you.

The journey to Crystal City is well worth the time. I have been several times in my life and I am still awed by the beauty of the high mountaintops and roaring river. I was very happy to be able to share this trip with Valium and I hope that he enjoyed it as much as I did.

For more information on Crystal City or for detailed directions on how to get there, contact me.

*** As an aside, the only photographic supply store in Glenwood Springs closed. So, if you still shoot film and have specific needs beyond simple color film, be sure to bring it with you. I talked to a few other shop owners in town who said that since The Darkroom closed, they might begin to carry a wider selection of supplies but, just in case, bring your own.