COLORADO Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site in La Junta Wild West & Frontier Life The discovery of gold in Colorado in 1858 didn’t just bring prospectors to the state — it changed everything. Tens of thousands of people traveled west during the Colorado gold rush, helping build the towns, industries and transportation networks that would push the region toward statehood in 1876. The gold rush helped cement the story of the West: a place where fortune felt within reach and opportunity drove the region’s rapid transformation. But most miners didn’t get rich. Instead, they laid the foundation for future industries — and many stayed to build a life. At the Hidee Gold Mine in Central City, you can step inside that chapter of Colorado’s growth. Guided tours take you through narrow underground tunnels, where you’ll learn how miners extracted ore and panned for gold — and you can even try your hand at it. “Mining created a need for services and supplies that fostered trade networks,” Wei explained. That demand helped shape entire towns, laying the groundwork for many of the communities still thriving in Colorado today. Travel southeast to Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site in La Junta to experience a different kind of frontier. This reconstructed adobe trading post from the 1830s once served as a hub for commerce between Plains tribes, Mexican traders and American settlers. Today, costumed interpreters bring the site to life with blacksmithing, bartering and frontier cooking demonstrations. High above Telluride, Alta ghost town is a striking reminder of how quickly fortunes could rise and fall. Once a bustling mining settlement, it was abandoned when the silver ran out. Now, remaining wooden cabins and mining structures stand against a backdrop of high-alpine peaks. “Boomtowns often quickly turned into ghost towns when resources dwindled,” Wei said. Ghost towns like Alta offer space to consider the ambition and optimism that built the early West. MATTHEW INDEN COLORADO . COM 125
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2026: Page 125
