Want to escape the 21st century? Under a 10-minute drive from Morrison and 14 miles from Denver is a quiet path that winds along a bumpy mountain, leading to an abandoned cemetery in what remains of a 19th-century ghost town.
Mount Vernon, Colorado -- located in what is now Jefferson County -- was one of the first settlements to spring up in Jefferson Territory during the Gold Rush era of the mid-1800s. Founded in 1859 by Joseph Castro, the settlement was, for a while, the de facto capital of what would
later become the state. What used to be an active neighborhood is now an eerily still hiking route with only two marked graves and two stone buildings left of the entire town.
Today, the land that Mount Vernon was on is part of Matthews / Winters Park. Visitors can take a 2.3-mile moderate hike along a dirt path that winds through meadows, past the ridges of red rocks, and potentially catch a glimpse of deer before coming upon a small fenced enclosure, which marks what is left of Mount Vernon Cemetery.
The easiest way to get to the remains of Mount Vernon is to drive and take the exit to Morrison, which will lead you to a parking lot where you can leave your car to begin the hike to the cemetery. There is also a bus from Denver that will bring you close, although timings are limited. If you fancy diving deeper into the area's history before going, Cripple Creek, a former Gold Rush town with high country adventure, is just over a 2-hour drive away.
Read more: The 5 Best Parks Where You Can See Bison Roam (Other Than Yellowstone), According To Visitors
Trail Of Ruins And Ridges In Mount Vernon
It's hard to believe that this still, peaceful mountain trail was once a political hotspot that up to 200 people called home. In the 1860s, there was a steady flow of miners moving through the town as a stopover on their route to seek gold. Territory governor Robert Steele built his house in town and hosted political meetings.
At its peak, Mount Vernon had a saloon, a school, a store, and two hotels. An active toll road ran from the village to the neighboring mines. But competition from nearby Denver and the creation of other toll roads led to the town's popularity going downhill, and just a few decades after it was settled, Mount Vernon had been abandoned by all but one family.
Today, all that is left are two stone buildings, a small cemetery, and a few commemorative plaques that mark where Governor Steele's house stood (and burned down some years later) and give more information on the known occupants of the cemetery. On your way to the graves, you will pass one of the original stone homes, Mount Vernon House, which is now a rustic lodging where you can spend the night! If you fancy seeing a living mining-era ghost town after this, there's Silver Plume, a Rocky Mountain Colorado town that's been described as a living museum, just over 30 miles away.
Stillness And Contemplation At Mount Vernon Cemetery
As you walk along the trail at Matthews / Winters Park, you will find yourself at Mount Vernon Cemetery. There are only two gravestones left, and the letters on the graves have faded with time, but you can still just about make out who they belong to. One is a young man who died at age 21, and the other is Isiah Rogers Dean, who contracted consumption (tuberculosis) and moved to the area to treat the condition. There are other burial mounds on the site, but their markings have vanished with time.
Beyond the cemetery is a view of the hills and, on the horizon, the ridges of Red Rock Park. Here, you can sit on the grass, admire the landscape, and enjoy a moment of stillness and reflection. Afterward, you can connect to other scenic trails, including the Mount Vernon Creek Loop, which is 2.2 miles away.
Mount Vernon is just over 3 miles from the popular Mesozoic era fossil park, Dinosaur Ridge, and 1.5 miles from Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, so there's a lot to see and do in the immediate vicinity. If you're still in the mood for hiking, why not take a 20-mile drive to visit Evergreen Mountain, which has one of Colorado's most enchanting forest trails?
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Read the original article on Islands.
