St. Elmo Ghost Town

Chaffee County, Colorado38.7047, -106.3450

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
14 miBuena Vista, CO
Mild months
May–Oct6 of 12
Next ghost town
2.5 miMary Murphy Mine
St. Elmo, Colorado
Photo: Rolf Blauert Dk4hb, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

St. Elmo, in Chaffee County, Colorado, is a ghost town. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

On the map

20 mi40 miGunnisonAspenSalidaBuena VistaLeadvilleCrested ButteLeadville NorthSt. Elmo
  • National Forest
  • State
  • Private or unlisted

Star: St. Elmo. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Buena Vista, CO, about 14 miles northeast in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Colorado Springs, CO, 86 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Mary Murphy Mine2.5 mi south
  2. Alpine3.2 mi east
  3. Tincup7.9 mi northwest
  4. Abbeyville9.4 mi northwest
  5. Ohio City17 mi southwest
  6. Winfield20 mi north
  7. Vicksburg20 mi north
  8. Antero Junction25 mi northeast

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

Private or unlisted land

The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: San Isabel National Forest. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

0°20°40°60°80°100°4111Jan4314Feb5021Mar5627Apr6636May7843Jun8349Jul8047Aug7440Sep6229Oct5020Nov4011DecJan: 0.3 inFeb: 0.4 inMar: 0.6 inApr: 1.0 inMay: 1.2 inJun: 0.7 inJul: 1.5 inAug: 1.6 inSep: 0.9 inOct: 0.8 inNov: 0.4 inDec: 0.4 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run May to October, judging by NOAA normals from Buena Vista 2S. Snow is normal from October to May.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Buena Vista 2S station (USC00051071), 14 miles away. About 9.8 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationChaffee County, Colorado
Coordinates38.70472, -106.34500
Protected asNational Register of Historic Places (NRHP 79000577)
Also known asSt. Elmo Historic District, St. Elmo Historic District / Forest City
SourcesWikidata Q2740896 · Wikipedia article · NPS register file

Questions

Where is St. Elmo ghost town?

In Chaffee County, Colorado, at 38.7047, -106.3450. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Buena Vista, CO, about 14 miles northeast in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Colorado Springs, CO, 86 miles away.

Can you visit St. Elmo?

Likely private land. The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: San Isabel National Forest. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

When is the best time to visit St. Elmo?

Mild months here run May to October, judging by NOAA normals from Buena Vista 2S. Snow is normal from October to May.

Are there other ghost towns near St. Elmo?

Yes. Mary Murphy Mine (2.5 mi), Alpine (3.2 mi), Tincup (7.9 mi), Abbeyville (9.4 mi).

More ghost towns in Colorado

All 141 ghost towns in Colorado · Ghost towns near Colorado Springs