History and culture - Mountains
Independence is a ghost town high on Independence Pass
Independence was a short-lived gold camp near the top of Independence Pass, and its remaining cabins are preserved as a historic site reachable only when the pass is open.
Published June 10, 2026 - Last verified June 11, 2026
Near the top of Independence Pass, just below the Continental Divide, the remains of a gold camp called Independence sit beside Highway 82. Prospectors found gold here around 1879, and a camp of tents gave way to log cabins and small businesses as miners arrived.
Like other high camps in the valley, Independence rose and fell quickly. The gold near the surface was soon worked out, the mill closed, and the brutal winters at this elevation made staying hard. One often-told story has the last residents building skis from cabin lumber to escape a record snow winter. The town never recovered.
The cabins you can still see today are preserved, not forgotten. The site lies within the White River National Forest, and the Aspen Historical Society stewards it under a Forest Service permit. Independence is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
One practical note: you can only drive to it when the pass is open. CDOT closes Independence Pass every winter, so the ghost town is a warm-season stop, not a year-round one. Check road status before you go.
Please stay on paths and leave the old timbers in place. For history and visiting details, see the Aspen Historical Society and History Colorado; for the road, check CDOT.