St. Elmo, Colorado
Like many abandoned towns in America, St. Elmo (formerly called Forrest City and founded in 1880) was once a thriving silver and gold mining community. About 2,000 folks eventually migrated here looking for their piece of prosperity, but by the beginning of the 20th century, the mines ran dry.
According to its official website, the citizens “got on the last train out of town and never returned.” If you want to give it a chance, I recommend you do this in the summer. That’s when the whole picture is most incredible. You can see its perfectly preserved houses and storefronts and visit the small community.
The Ghost Town Guest House and a general store are still open, which means you can also spend the night in this abandoned town even if the atmosphere is a little, well, unlively.
