In this post, I’ll cover:
– Where the Crystal Mill is located
– How to get to the Crystal Mill
– Where to park to hike to the Crystal Mill
– How the Crystal Mill worked
– Who owns the Crystal Mill
– The Crystal Mill history
I first learned of Crystal Mill thanks to a photo that was hung in a hotel I bartended at while in college. As I’d clock in for my shift, I would walk up a small set of stairs that led to a grand ballroom where I would prep the bar. As I’d climb those stairs, there hung this enormous photo of the Crystal Mill site for everyone to see, like it was a reminder to the guests that they were staying in a place with an impeccable, rugged beauty just beyond the walls of the hotel. I had this dream of one day exploring the site for myself and by judging the landscape in the photo, I knew I was in for a deep excursion into the Rocky Mountains to attain that dream.
Fast forward three years and I find myself dragging my feet along at some crazy event called the Ragnar Trail Run in Snowmass, Colorado. After trail running over 30 miles in 24 hours, the event was finally over and I had one final day left in the area before I was due back to work on Monday. So, I did what every globetrotter does with a few extra hours in a new place:
“Hey Google, what are some attractions near me?”
Of all the attractions on the map, Crystal Mill popped up like that photo did every time I climbed those stairs in college; I booked a night at a nearby hostel and planned to explore Crystal Mill the next day!
The voyage begins
After a good night’s sleep, I awoke in my hostel with an extremely sore set of legs thanks to all that trail running. Nevertheless, I was on a mission: Crystal Mill! So, I got dressed, had a quick bite to eat, and set out towards Crystal Mill. GPS wanted me to make my way towards Marble, park, then hike the rest of the way. If my legs could audibly groan, this would’ve ben when they did lol.
As I parked, I gauged that my tiny Chevy Volt wouldn’t make it in one piece thanks to a good amount of washout on the road and an overall requirement for high clearance. So, I parked my car (at 39°04’17.1″N 107°10’15.9″W) and started my way towards the historic site. Hey, what’s another 9 mile round trip on already dead legs?
The trail was great for hiking, and the scenery was breathtaking! I felt my soul come back to life as I walked along the aspen groves, ablaze with color and contrasting against their rocky backdrop like wildflowers in a field of prairie grass. Further down the trail I stopped and paused, noticing the soothing brown noise coming from the Crystal River, guiding the glacial water out of the valley. Not a soul was around, and I was completely OK with that.
4 and 1/2 miles into my trek, I was awestruck; literally awestruck, as I peered through a clearing of trees and spotted something out of the ordinary. I had finally made it! As I took a break on a nearby bench, I thought of what it must have been like in the 1890s to have orders to construct something like a power generator in a location primed with beauty and wonder. Wouldn’t that have been the best work environment! I continued examining it, wondering how it worked and why it was decommissioned. How had it survived so many years of eager trailblazers, frontiersmen, and (now) tourists?
The more I thought about this lonely watermill, the more I realized I was standing in the presence of history, not just old lumber used in pictures in random hotels around the state. Finally, my mind came out of daydreaming mode and I snapped some pictures, took a few selfies, and thought I would head back to my car. However, I realized a worn, wooden sign that read, “Crystal – 0.3mi” with an arrow directing me over a small hill. Of course, I continued on!
Living history
I continued over a small hill and found myself in the town of Crystal. I had no idea there was a quasi-ghost town up here! A dirt road divided about 10 (or so) wooden cabins complete with outhouses and rusted flag poles in front where American flags once flew. Moving down “main street”, I couldn’t help but notice the sound of humming birds flying all around me like small, screaming mimis, wizzing inches above my head.
To the side of the dirt road was a small channel of flowing water that had eroded its way from one side of town to the other. Tired and thirsty, I bent down and took a drink with my hands cupped, feeling instantly refreshed by the ice-cold water; what a treat! I looked up ahead and saw a modern-looking vehicle parked next to one of the buildings and I instantly wondered if somehow this town was still populated. To my surprise, it kind of was!
I approached the building where the vehicle was parked and heard a voice call out to me. A middle-aged gentleman approached, and asked if I was doing OK and if I needed anything. Stunned that someone was asking me if I needed anything in a ghost town (que the X-files music), I told the man that I was initially just planning on visiting the Crystal Mill but saw the sign for the town. The man then introduced himself as Chris Cox, the owner and operator of all the land I was walking on; how cool is that?! What are the odds I’d meet the owner of the Crystal Mill land on a random trip up there!?
Chris gave me the history of the town and I couldn’t help but be amazed at the story he was telling. He told me about how the site used to be a silver mine site and how his great-grandfather was one of the original miners in the Aspen area. His great-grandfather had bought up the majority of the property leases in the town of Crystal and it had remained in his family ever since! Smart man if you ask me! Amazed, I couldn’t help but ask him question after question that randomly popped into my head; it was like the Crystal Mill had grown a voice of its own and was now standing in front of me, spilling out its story.
Continuing on, Chris told me that since his great-grandfather made the purchase all those years ago, the town and a majority of the land had remained in his family’s possession for over 100 years (6 generations!). Furthermore, I learned that the iconic Crystal Mill structure once housed a hydropneumatic powerplant (i.e. it compressed air to make energy) for dynamite charges and was used to mine silver in the 1890s; state of the art technology for its day. However, during WWI, the silver market tanked around 1917 and the Crystal Mill had to close its doors overnight.
After the history lesson, Christ gave me permission to go into any of the houses I wanted to so long as the doors were open. I spent the couple of hours meandering about the town, further taking in the history of the original log cabins and entering them one by one. My first stop was the Meadow Cabin, seated just feet away from the roaring North Fork of the Crystal River. Large wooden rafters, and an old wood-burning stove greeted me as I walked through the door. Situated across the room were two queen beds and a kitchen area. It was definitely simpler times back then! The sound of the river played like a white noise generator in the background, putting me in a sense of peace. I paused to take it in before heading across the lawn to The Cinnamon Roll house.
As I creaked the wooden screen door open, I was greeted with much of the same scene from the Meadow Cabin with the exception of a second story. The staircase creaked as I climbed it and could feel a noticeable increase in temperature as I ascended. Two more queen beds were all that were placed upstairs, situated perfectly under the windows for enjoying the surreal surroundings. I walked back down the wooden stairs and started to make my way out of the house when I noticed a black and white photo of an elderly couple with their arms around each other; Bonnie and Leland Stanford, c. 1998. Unsure of who they were, I drew my focus to their ear-to-ear grins and shared in their happiness in the moment before I closed the door behind me.
With one final moment of peace, I took in my surroundings, gave thanks for the adventure I was able to experience, and started my trek back towards my car, my legs anxiously awaiting rest.
If this story inspires you to visit this incredible place, I’d recommend staying at the actual town of Crystal for a unique experience; yes, the cabins I wrote about, you can stay in them! Book reservations here! Lastly, if you’d like more information about this excursion, drop a comment below and let me know how I can help!