High in the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of over 9,000 feet, Nevadaville, Colorado, is a chilling reminder of the state’s gold rush glory. The town of Nevada, as it was known at first, was formed during the area’s 1859 gold discovery as a place for working-class miners to reside. Located near Central City and Black Hawk, Colorado, Nevadaville was eventually overshadowed by the two more populous cities after succumbing to a massive fire in 1861 and an eventual runoff of gold in the early 1900s.
Despite growing to nearly 4,000 residents in the 1860s, just a few structures are left of the once bustling gold rush hub. Just five minutes away from present-day Central City via Nevadaville Road, the now-abandoned ghost town has gained a different reputation. Not only are visitors warned not to wander into the old Nevadaville town site because of the possibility of sinkholes, but there are a few sites in town with a more ghostly backstory, like the Masonic Cemetery.
Nevadaville is just west of Central City in Gilpin County, under an hour’s drive from Denver via I-70. Denver International Airport is the nearest major hub for those flying in, but from there, a rental car is essential. Though there is plenty of public transportation from DIA to Central City, few options extend into Nevadaville. With transportation taken care of, Nevadaville’s saloon, city hall, and Masonic lodge, among other structures, offer a haunting glimpse into Colorado’s boom-and-bust gold rush history.
Nevadaville ghost town history and hauntings
Nevadaville, Colorado, was born out of the 1859 Pike’s Peak Gold Rush and quickly became one of the region’s most prosperous mining towns, more populous than even Denver in the 1860s. Shortly after its founding, a fire destroyed around 50 buildings in Nevadaville in 1861. The town was rebuilt and thrived into the late 1800s, but as the gold mines ran dry, the town was quickly abandoned. Nevadaville isn’t alone in its troubled history. Colorado is home to another town of similar fate, St. Elmo, which is one of the American West’s best-preserved ghost towns. In fact, Colorado has more than 1500 ghost towns across the state.
By the early 20th century, Nevadaville was all but deserted, leaving behind its mining sites, sinkholes, and just a few full-time residents. East of downtown Nevadaville was a neighborhood known as Dogtown, recognizable today by a single remaining stone building. However, it’s what lies just nearby that gives Nevadaville its haunted reputation.
The Masonic Cemetery, occasionally referred to as the Central City Masonic Cemetery, is thought to be one of the most haunted locations in Colorado. Legend has it that the grave of a young man, John Cameron, is visited each year on the anniversary of his death, November 1, by a woman dressed in black who leaves flowers on his grave. There have also been reports of mysterious sounds and orbs at the site.
What to see in Nevadaville today
