Independence

Independence is an abandoned mining settlement in Colorado's mountains at roughly 11,000 feet elevation where several old log cabins still stand among scattered remains. The buildings are connected by dirt paths and surrounded by forested slopes and meadows that reveal the remote location and small scale of the original community.

The settlement was founded in 1879 after prospectors struck gold on July 4, which inspired its name, and quickly grew into an active town with several hundred residents. Severe snowstorms in 1899 forced inhabitants to evacuate permanently, and the site has remained abandoned ever since.

Independence became a gathering place for prospectors from across the country who sought fortune and built a temporary community in these high mountains. The surviving log cabins reveal how miners and their families lived in simple, practical dwellings designed to withstand the harsh climate and remote conditions.

The site is accessible by Highway 82 from late spring through early fall, though the road is typically closed in winter due to heavy snow. Walking paths connect the buildings, and sturdy footwear along with layers for the high elevation and changeable mountain weather make for a more comfortable visit.

During a desperate situation in 1899, residents disassembled their own houses to fashion snowshoes and escape across the snow-covered valley. This remarkable evacuation shows how severe weather ultimately ended habitation and transformed the place into an enduring memorial to the miners who once lived there.