Crystal, CO (townsite)
A silver-boom ghost town on the Crystal River, home to the most photographed mill in Colorado.
About Crystal
Crystal is an abandoned silver-mining town in Gunnison County, tucked on the upper Crystal River near the confluence of its North and South forks at about 8,950 feet. It sits roughly six miles east of the town of Marble, reached by a rough four-wheel-drive shelf road, County Road 3. From the other direction, adventurous drivers come over Schofield Pass from Crested Butte.
The star is the Crystal Mill, a weathered timber structure perched on a rock outcrop above the river. A handful of old cabins still stand in the townsite, and peaks climbing past 13,000 feet frame the valley.
Getting here is part of the story. The road from Marble is slow, narrow and rocky, and most people come by high-clearance 4x4, UTV tour, mountain bike or on foot. It's a long day, but the payoff is one of the classic Colorado images.
A near-ghost town a few miles up the road from Crystal Mill, with only a handful of remaining structures and year-round residents despite having no grid electricity even today. Weathered, abandoned buildings against the Elk Mountains make for a genuinely different subject than the Mill itself, and far fewer people make the extra push up the 4WD road to see them.
History
Prospectors found silver near the forks of the Crystal River in 1874, a camp formed in 1880, and Crystal incorporated as a city in 1881. By the mid-1880s it had more than 500 residents, working mines like the Black Queen, Lead King and Sheep Mountain Tunnel for silver, lead and zinc. With no good road out, ore left on mule trains.
The mill was built in 1893 by George C. Eaton and B.S. Phillips as the Sheep Mountain Tunnel Mill, using the power of the river to drive equipment for the nearby mines. The silver crash that same year hit the camp hard, and Crystal gradually emptied out.
Photographing Crystal
Best light: The mill sits in a narrow, steep-walled valley, so direct sun arrives late and leaves early; soft, even light in the morning or on overcast days keeps the river and dark timbers from going contrasty. Late September, when the aspens on the slopes above turn, is the classic window.
Shots to look for
- The classic three-quarter view of the mill above the river from the public road, 24-70mm, with fall aspens on the hillside behind
- Slow shutter (around 1/4 to 1 second) to soften the falls below the mill, using an ND filter on bright days
- Tight telephoto details of the weathered siding, waterwheel housing and rock outcrop
- Crystal townsite cabins with peaks behind, wide angle low to the ground
- The shelf road itself carved into the cliffs of the Crystal River canyon on the drive in
Photo tips
- The mill and the land around it are private; the owner closed the old trail to the riverbank below it in 2023, so shoot from the public road and obey no-trespassing signs
- Start early; the road from Marble is slow and summer traffic of jeeps and UTVs builds through the day
- Bring a polarizer to cut glare on the water and wet rock
- Drones have contributed to conflicts here; check current rules and landowner wishes before flying
- Pack food, water and a spare tire plan; there are no services past Marble
Know before you go
- County Road 3 is a narrow, rocky shelf road for high-clearance 4WD only; many visitors hire a tour or rent a capable vehicle in Marble
- The mill is on private property; view and photograph it only from the road
- Schofield Pass and the Devils Punchbowl section between Crystal and Crested Butte are notoriously dangerous; research conditions before attempting it
- The road is typically snowbound in winter and spring; access is mainly a summer and early fall proposition
Prints from Crystal
Every photo is available as a print on metal, canvas, wood or fine art paper.
Frequently asked questions
Can you drive a regular car to the Crystal Mill?
No. The roughly six-mile road from Marble is a rough shelf road that needs high-clearance four-wheel drive. Many people take a jeep tour, rent a 4x4 or UTV, bike or hike in.
Can you walk down to the river below the Crystal Mill?
Not anymore. The owner closed the trail to the riverbank in 2023, so the mill is now viewed and photographed from the road.
When was the Crystal Mill built?
It was built in 1893 as the Sheep Mountain Tunnel Mill, serving the silver mines around Crystal.
Combine it with
Marble · Schofield Pass · Lead King Basin · Redstone
More Colorado spots
Fairplay · Lakeside, CO (Lakeside Amusement Park) · Idaho Springs Reservoir
Sources & further reading: en.wikipedia.org · coloradosun.com. Conditions, fees and rules change; check with the managing agency before you go.