WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

If Colorado ghost towns are on your bucket list this summer you'll have plenty to select from. The Centennial State is home to over 300 of them just waiting out in the woods to be respectfully rediscovered.

Today we will take a look at what remains of Carson, Colorado, which was established in 1899. The town was home to about 500 residents eager to find silver and gold, which had both been reported in the Carson area on separate occasions just a few years apart.

Get our free mobile app

Where is the Ghost Town of Carson, Colorado?

Both the Carson and Old Carson sites are near the Colorado 13er mountain known as Carson Peak. The townsite sat at an elevation of nearly 11,600 feet in Hinsdale County. The Carson site is located south of Lake City, Colorado.

How to Find Your Way to the Carson, Colorado Townsite

The back roads to the Carson townsite take you through Wagner Gulch and on to Carson Ghost Town. From 149, you'll find the Silver Thread Byway (Alpine Loop Co Rd 30), and from there it's about 8 miles to the townsite. Access is 4X4 only in the summer months and early fall. The backroads from Carson Ghost Town lead you out and up the Stony Pass from the 149 Side. The road is extremely high up and the off-road drive is not one for beginners.

See the Remaining Structures and the Old Mine Site in Carson, Colorado

Scroll through the photos below to see the remaining structures in Carson. You'll be able to check out Bent Peak, Carson Peak, as well as the sites of the Carson Mines. Silver was found here first, then gold was discovered a couple of years later. Once the mines dried up, the winters became too harsh forcing the residents to lower elevations.

See What Remains in the Abandoned Ghost Town of Carson, Colorado

Some historians call Carson, Colorado one of the best-preserved ghost towns in the state. A handful of structures are still standing today with the old mining sites easily discovered in the woods nearby.

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams

Photos: Tour the Ghost Town of Independence, Colorado

Down the slopes off Colorado Highway 82 sit the empty miner's cabins and the ghost town once called Independence. This once important community was nearly the county seat of Pitkin County but ultimately lost out to Aspen. See the cabins that are still standing today and visit the Roaring Fork River nearby. Maybe you'll find some gold!

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams

MORE: Check Out Colorado's Abandoned Little Log Cabin Daycare

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

Take a virtual tour of an old Colorado daycare known as the ‘Little Log Cabin’ that is now totally abandoned.

Gallery Credit: Nate Wilde

More From ESPN Western Colorado