MAY 2018 | 5280 | (^83)
Did You Know?
The area surrounding the
mill—from Carbondale
to Marble to Paonia, on
the other side of McClure
Pass—has long been a cache
for those looking to extract
resources from the earth.
Silver, coal, and white marble
have all been harvested from
what is arguably some of the
prettiest terrain in Colorado.
If You Go
Located about 33 miles
from Carbondale, the mill
sits adjacent to the river
between Marble and what
is now the ghost town of
Crystal. Passable only during
the summer and fall, County
Road 3 requires a high-
clearance four-wheel-drive
vehicle or trustworthy horse.
Hardy hikers or mountain
bikers could also traverse the
5.5 miles from Marble.
True, Mother Nature did not con-
struct Colorado’s famed Crystal
Mill. Yet the precariously balanced
wooden structure sits so perfectly
atop a rocky outcropping along
the frothy Crystal River that it
looks, well, natural. Rivaling even
the Maroon Bells for Instagram
worthiness, the scene is especially
spectacular when the aspens turn
gold in the fall. Built in 1892 by
prospectors from what was then
the booming mining town of
Crystal (about an hour southeast
of Carbondale), the mill harnessed
the force of the river to power an
air compressor. he compressor
then fueled machinery and tools at
nearby silver mines.
here are very few places in
the continental United States
where one can ooh and aah
at the purple- and absinthe-
hued aurora borealis. he
northern reaches of Glacier
National Park—where slow-
moving ice carved craggy
mountains, sweeping valleys,
and jewel-tone lakes over
thousands of years—ofer
that rare opportunity. here’s
no way to predict exactly
when the light show will go
on; however, a late summer
hike along Hidden Lake
Trail (of Logan Pass) in the
wee morning hours is as sure
a bet as any.
Did You Know?
If you’ve never been to
Canada, this is your chance.
Citizens of Canada and the
United States can show their
passports at the Goat Haunt
Ranger Station—which lies
inside the park—and cross
the border.
If You Go
From the town of St. Mary,
on the east side of the park,
take Going-to-the-Sun Road
(portions may be closed due
to weather from October
through early July) to the
Logan Pass Visitor Center.
The trailhead for Hidden
Lake leaves from the parking
lot. The 2.6-mile (one way)
relatively easy trek to the
lake winds through alpine
meadows, where there is
hardly any shade (during the
day) and little protection
from the wind (all the time).
The park entrance fee ranges
from $20 to $30 per vehicle,
depending on the season, and
covers seven calendar days.
HIDDEN nps.gov/glac
LAKE TRAIL
Glacier
N.P. MT
CRYSTAL
MILL
Crystal CO
This spread from left: C2 Photography; Jason J. Hatfield