Rosita and Querida: vanished silver camps

A few miles east of Silver Cliff, the hills hold the remains of two mining camps that boomed when silver was king. Rosita grew fast in the early 1870s as a silver camp and was busy enough to serve as the county seat from 1878 to 1886. Querida, also called Bassick City, grew in the late 1870s around the Bassick Mine, which produced gold as well as silver. Both faded as the ore played out and the towns around Westcliffe took over.

These sites explain the empty-looking map. The valley once held far more people than it does now, spread across camps that have mostly returned to grass and timber. Seeing where Rosita and Querida stood puts the boom-and-ranch story right on the ground.

Today these are quiet places, not staffed attractions, and what remains on the ground varies. The land around the old sites is a mix of ownerships, with private ranch ground and old mine workings in the area, and boundaries are not marked for visitors. Good to know before you go: check current BLM maps and county land records, respect private and posted property, and plan to enjoy the view from roads and clearly public ground rather than wandering onto old shafts and tailings, which can be dangerous.

For documented history, start with History Colorado. For land status on any public parcels, check with the Bureau of Land Management.