Nevadaville: the quiet ghost town just above Central City

Most people who drive up to Central City never make the short hop higher to Nevadaville, which is part of what makes it worth doing. Follow the road a couple of miles above town and the casinos fall away behind you. What’s left is a scatter of weathered buildings on a windy ridge, with the mountains doing most of the talking.

Nevadaville got its start in 1859, the same gold-rush summer as Black Hawk and Central City, when prospectors chased veins on Quartz Hill. It was first called Nevada City. For a while it was a real town, with mills running and hundreds of people living up here; counts vary by source, and some put the peak much higher. When the easy gold played out, the town slowly emptied.

It never fully disappeared, though. Nevadaville is one of the three towns inside the Central City–Black Hawk National Historic Landmark district, alongside its better-known neighbors. That history is why the old structures still stand.

It’s a free, quiet stop, and a good one for photos. Just remember the buildings are old and fragile, and much of what you see is on or near private property. Look, photograph, and stay on the road; don’t climb, lean, or wander into anything. For the fuller story of the district, start with the Colorado Encyclopedia.