Did you know that Ashcroft was once more populated than Aspen and home to more than 2,000 people? There were two newspapers, a smelter, a school and 20 saloons. But, after the area’s shallow silver deposits proved to be disappointing, the miners left for greener pastures and endeavors (Aspen).
![ashcroft2](https://aspenhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ashcroft2-300x225.jpg)
Ashcroft Ghost Town
The relics of 10 buildings still stand in the ghost town, and you can take daily tours from one of our trained guides any time between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. At $3, it’s some of the least expensive entertainment in the Roaring Fork Valley.
Driving over the Pass? Stop by the Independence Ghost Town to hear stories about a town that produced more than $190,000 in gold in just a year. Daily tours 10 a.m .to 6 p.m., and the town is just 16 miles east of Aspen.
Both ghost towns open Saturday, June 14 for the summer and will be open daily through Labor Day.