This Colorado ghost town has a history filled with adventure, tragedy and more than a little mystery. Said to the be final resting place of a massive quantity of gold, there may be more to this abandoned settlement than meets the eye.

Read on to learn more about the site, and check out the stunning images photographer Dan Turner captured at this mountain ghost town.

The settlement of Animas Forks is an enigmatic Colorado ghost town.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET
It lies in the mountains near Breckenridge and was born from the Colorado Gold Rush.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET
By 1882, the town of Animas Forks had a population of about 160.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET
Animas Forks and the other mountain mining towns in the area were lawless, rough places.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET
A fire ravaged the community in 1891. Rather than rebuild, many residents simply moved south to the town of Eureka.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET
Though mining operations continued into the early 1900s, it seemed as if the town was cursed.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET
In 1913, another fire swept through the settlement.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET

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In 1915, an avalanche struck both sides of Treasure Mountain.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET
Finally, in 1918, an outbreak of the Spanish Flu crept through the mining camps and killed hundreds.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET
Tales of buried treasure gave the mountain its curious name…and perhaps its curse.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET
Legend has it that a group of French trappers discovered gold on the mountain in the 1880s.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET
After years of mining the mountain, the trappers came under attack by Ute native people.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET
In a desperate bid to secure their wealth, it is said that they buried their massive gold cache above their camp and marked the treasure with an iron mule shoe on nearby trees.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET
Only two trappers survived the onslaught. These men returned to France and made a map of the treasure’s location.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET
They never returned to claim the gold, and tales of the princely hoard of buried gold live on.
Dan Turner via SUBSTREET

 

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