La Veta Pass-Uptop
Historic District
Nestled at 9382′ elevation in Colorado’s Spanish Peaks Country, there is a 300 acre slice of history known as Uptop Ghost Town. The town is a National Historic District, and consists of eight buildings dating from 1877-1960. Six of the historic buildings are restored including the dancehall, railroad depot, schoolhouse, chapel, homesteader’s cabin, and tavern keeper’s apartment. This property is in the mountains at very high elevation, 9,400 feet above sea level, but it is easily accessed by a wide and well maintained county road. Approximately 50 acres around the buildings are fairly flat and easily accessed, with fields and woodland. The remaining geography is mostly steep woodland which is recovering from a forest fire, or woodland that has been clear-cut into a meadow.
Originally this area was a meeting place and travel route for multiple native tribes, instead of the territory of any. In 1877 the Denver & Rio Grand Railroad built “The Railroad Above the Clouds”, which were the worlds’ highest train tracks at the time. The original Railroad Depot still stands on the property, functioning as a small museum.
After the railroad was rerouted in 1899, the tracks were removed, and Uptop was homesteaded. It eventually blossomed into a logging town which supported the local coal industry. Quite literally, as Uptop produced the timbers which supported the mineshafts themselves. It was during this period when the small community constructed a chapel and schoolhouse which still stand today.
As coal mining left the area in the 1940s, Uptop transitioned to a popular automotive tourism stop. A couple cabins were pushed together into a tavern, and a dancehall was constructed off the back of the tavern. This beautiful historic dancehall is now the gem of the property, and the focus of much restoration. During this period, a restaurant/inn was also constructed; adjacent, but on a separate property. In 1962, after over two dozen truck crashes, the State of Colorado created a safer highway through the mountains, removing the tourists and leaving Uptop to the ghosts of its past.
The dancehall, built in 1940, has been lovingly restored by the previous owners and is in relatively good shape. It has hosted both local and international acts, and we are told it is somewhat dear to the local community. Despite its beauty, it isn’t up to any modern codes. In fact, it doesn’t yet have plumbing or electricity.
Our first project is to restore this dancehall, and bring it up to modern standards. This will include restrooms, a large commercial kitchen, an addition for a stage and green room, and of course world class production. We are currently working with a historical architect, and will match original building practices. This includes but is not limited to harvesting and milling the lumber on-site, just the way they used to in the timber days!
Nestled at 9382′ elevation in Colorado’s Spanish Peaks Country, there is a 300 acre slice of history known as Uptop Ghost Town. The town is a National Historic District, and consists of eight buildings dating from 1877-1960. Six of the historic buildings are restored including the dancehall, railroad depot, schoolhouse, chapel, homesteader’s cabin, and tavern keeper’s apartment. This property is in the mountains at very high elevation, 9,400 feet above sea level, but it is easily accessed by a wide and well maintained county road. Approximately 50 acres around the buildings are fairly flat and easily accessed, with fields and woodland. The remaining geography is mostly steep woodland which is recovering from a forest fire, or woodland that has been clear-cut into a meadow.
Originally this area was a meeting place and travel route for multiple native tribes, instead of the territory of any. In 1877 the Denver & Rio Grand Railroad built “The Railroad Above the Clouds”, which were the worlds’ highest train tracks at the time. The original Railroad Depot still stands on the property, functioning as a small museum.
After the railroad was rerouted in 1899, the tracks were removed, and Uptop was homesteaded. It eventually blossomed into a logging town which supported the local coal industry. Quite literally, as Uptop produced the timbers which supported the mineshafts themselves. It was during this period when the small community constructed a chapel and schoolhouse which still stand today.
As coal mining left the area in the 1940s, Uptop transitioned to a popular automotive tourism stop. A couple cabins were pushed together into a tavern, and a dancehall was constructed off the back of the tavern. This beautiful historic dancehall is now the gem of the property, and the focus of much restoration. During this period, a restaurant/inn was also constructed; adjacent, but on a separate property. In 1962, after over two dozen truck crashes, the State of Colorado created a safer highway through the mountains, removing the tourists and leaving Uptop to the ghosts of its past.
The dancehall, built in 1940, has been lovingly restored by the previous owners and is in relatively good shape. It has hosted both local and international acts, and we are told it is somewhat dear to the local community. Despite its beauty, it isn’t up to any modern codes. In fact, it doesn’t yet have plumbing or electricity.
Our first project is to restore this dancehall, and bring it up to modern standards. This will include restrooms, a large commercial kitchen, an addition for a stage and green room, and of course world class production. We are currently working with a historical architect, and will match original building practices. This includes but is not limited to harvesting and milling the lumber on-site, just the way they used to in the timber days!
Airports near Uptop:
- Denver International Airport -3hr (recommended)
- Colorado Springs Airport -2hr
- Pueblo Memorial Airport -1.5hr
- San Luis Valley Regional Airport -50min (very small)
Towns near Uptop:
East
- La Veta
- 20 min (900 pop)
- Walsenburg
- 35 min (3,000 pop)
- Trinidad
- 1.25hr (8,000 pop)
- Pueblo
- 1.25hr (111,000 pop)
West
- Ft. Garland
- 25 min (500 pop)
- Blanca
- 30 min (500 pop)
- Alamosa
- 50 min (9,500 pop)
Attractions near Uptop:
Great Sand Dunes National Park -1hr
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad -1.5hr
Francisco Fort Museum -15 min
Spanish Peaks Arts Council -15 min
Highway of Legends -2hr to Trinidad 1-way
Cuchara Mountain Park -45 min
Fort Garland Museum -20 min
Colorado Gators Reptile Park -1hr
Zapata Ranch -45 min
UFO Watchtower -1hr
Cano’s Castle -1.5hr
Mother Mary’s Garden -45min
Old Cow Town -2hr
Indiana Jones Home B&B -1.5hr
Steam Train Hotel -1.5hr
Shrine of Stations Cross -40min
Joyful Journey Hot Springs -1.5hr
Sand Dunes Pool -1.25hr
Splashland Hot Springs -50min
Valley View Hot Springs -1.75hr
Pagosa Springs -2.75hr
Desert Reef Hot Spring -2hr
Mineral Hot Springs -1.5 hr
Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge -50 min
Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge-1.25hr
Rio Grande National Forest -2.5hr
San Isabel National Forest -2hr
Great Sand Dunes Wilderness -1hr
Spanish Peaks Wilderness Area -45 min
Sangre De Cristo Wilderness -2hr
Lathrop State Park -30 min
Trinidad Lake State Park -1.25hr
Bosque del Oso SWA -1.75hr
North Lake SWA -1hr
Russell Lakes SWA -1.5hr
San Luis Lakes SWA -1hr
Sanchez Reservoir SWA -1hr
Smith Reservoir SWA -40 min
(SWA=State Wildlife Area)
Great Sand Dunes National Park -1hr
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad -1.5hr
Francisco Fort Museum -15 min
Spanish Peaks Arts Council -15 min
Highway of Legends -2hr to Trinidad 1-way
Cuchara Mountain Park -45 min
Fort Garland Museum -20 min
Colorado Gators Reptile Park -1hr
Zapata Ranch -45 min
UFO Watchtower -1hr
Cano’s Castle -1.5hr
Mother Mary’s Garden -45min
Old Cow Town -2hr
Indiana Jones Home B&B -1.5hr
Steam Train Hotel -1.5hr
Shrine of Stations Cross -40min
Joyful Journey Hot Springs -1.5hr
Sand Dunes Pool -1.25hr
Splashland Hot Springs -50min
Valley View Hot Springs -1.75hr
Pagosa Springs -2.75hr
Desert Reef Hot Spring -2hr
Mineral Hot Springs -1.5 hr
Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge -50 min
Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge-1.25hr
Rio Grande National Forest -2.5hr
San Isabel National Forest -2hr
Great Sand Dunes Wilderness -1hr
Spanish Peaks Wilderness Area -45 min
Sangre De Cristo Wilderness -2hr
Lathrop State Park -30 min
Trinidad Lake State Park -1.25hr
Bosque del Oso SWA -1.75hr
North Lake SWA -1hr
Russell Lakes SWA -1.5hr
San Luis Lakes SWA -1hr
Sanchez Reservoir SWA -1hr
Smith Reservoir SWA -40 min
(SWA=State Wildlife Area)