8 Towns in The Rockies that Transport You to the Past
The Rocky Mountains may be world-famous for their iconic ski resorts, yet there’s much more to explore beyond the slopes. Yes, you will find plenty of fancy resort towns throughout the Rockies, but you can also find your way to a nearly 1,000-year-old village that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the United States’ first national park, and a host of seasoned mining towns.
From incredible Indigenous history and culture to a remarkable transformation from near ghost town status to an elite resort destination, there are plenty of backstories to learn and appreciate across the Rocky Mountains. So now, let’s head on a journey to eight towns in the Rockies that transport you to the past.
Taos, New Mexico
When a town manages to survive and thrive for a full millennium, we have to take notice. Though the Spanish colonizers who settled in New Mexico started the village of Taos (about 133 miles northeast of Albuquerque) in 1540, the Tiwa Puebloan indigenous people likely developed Taos Pueblo between 1000 and 1450 CE. Today, Taos Pueblo is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its remarkable preservation of Tiwa indigenous history and culture, and the community now welcomes visitors to experience the wonder of this special place. (With this said, check ahead of your visit for operating hours and potential seasonal closures.)
For even more local history and lore, head to Taos Plaza in town to experience a classic Southwestern village that developed between the 18th and 20th centuries, and visit the Harwood Museum of Art and the E.L. Blumenschein Home & Museum to discover a plethora of wondrous works by local Taos artists. If you’re eager to make your own compelling story outside, go to the nearby Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and try everything from whitewater rafting to mountain biking, and get your ski and snowboard on during the winter season at Taos Ski Valley. After all your adventures at the pueblo and on the mountain, settle in for the night at the historic Taos Inn in town or enjoy a luxurious stay right by the slopes at The Blake at Taos Ski Valley.
Park City, Utah
Located around 30 miles east of Salt Lake City, Park City may now be best known for its marvelous ski resorts. Indeed, you can ski or snowboard over 330 trails across 7,300 acres with up to 3,200 feet of vertical drop at Park City Mountain, and you can ski some 122 runs across 2,342 acres with up to 3,040 feet of vertical drop at Deer Valley. If you want to learn more about how and why Park City has become such a reputable winter sports destination, head to Utah Olympic Park to discover the origin story of Utah’s ski industry at the Alf Engen Ski Museum and to tour many of the venues of the 2002 Winter Olympics that will likely re-capture the world’s attention during the 2034 Winter Olympics.
For even more Park City history, go to the Park City Museum on Main Street to see more of this town’s full evolution from fa ast-moving 1880s mining town to near extinction in the 1950s, followed by its amazing resurgence and transformation into the posh ski town it is today. Speaking of posh, Park City has plenty of posh hotels and resorts to make your stay truly extraordinary, from the cool and contemporary Pendry Park City that’s steps away from Park City Mountain to the magnificent elegance of the St. Regis Deer Valley.
Silverton, Colorado
Silverton may not be the most famous ski town on Colorado’s Western Slope, but it just might have the most fascinating backstory. Nestled in the San Juan Mountains about 120 miles southeast of Grand Junction and 295 miles west of Colorado Springs, Silverton began attracting prospectors at the tail end of the Colorado Gold Rush in 1860, then reemerged as a silver mining hotspot from the 1870s until the Panic of 1893, then struck another gold mining boom until the Panic of 1907. To learn even more of Silverton’s history, head to the Mining Heritage Center Museum for a variety of cool exhibits, and take a short drive to the Animas Forks ghost town to see the remains of an 1870s-80s mining settlement. And for a guided tour, it’s hard to beat the One Hundred Gold Mine Tour and its journey into Galena Mountain to witness actual mining equipment in action.
When you’re in the mood to make some history for yourself up the mountains, rest assured that you can reach new heights at Silverton Mountain, with the highest and steepest ski area in North America (as with a peak elevation of 13,487 feet above sea level) and 1,819 acres of skiable terrain. If that sounds a little too daunting, you can also try the more family and beginner-friendly Kendall Mountain Ski Area. Once you really need some rest, settle into the historic Grand Imperial Hotel that has welcomed guests to Silverton since 1883.
Ouray, Colorado
With a slogan like “The Switzerland of America,” Ouray sets very high standards for itself. Fortunately, this town is about 97 miles southeast of Grand Junction and 286 miles northwest of Albuquerque. Ouray really does abound in phenomenal natural beauty, and you’ll immediately start to notice it at parks like Cascade Falls and Box Cañon Falls Park & Nature Center in town. For even more glorious alpine scenery, the nearby stretch of Uncompahgre National Forest has gems like the 13,793-foot-tall Potosi Peak and the stunning Blue Lake that must be seen to be believed.
Beyond its greatest of the great outdoors, Ouray also has some great local history to explore. Check out the Ouray County Historical Museum for artifacts and exhibits inside the old St. Joseph's Miners' Hospital that first opened in 1887, and go to the Ouray Alchemist Museum for a mindblowing collection of vintage (and even ancient) medicine and pharmacy artifacts. For even more history that you can actually spend the night at, book a stay at The Western Ouray for an 1891 boutique hotel with its own Old West Saloon, or stay at Wiesbaden Hot Springs for Ouray’s longtime favorite hot springs resort with its collection of natural hot springs fed pools and relaxing spa.
Virginia City, Montana
Situated about 67 miles southwest of Bozeman and 120 miles south of Helena, Virginia City may be Montana’s best-preserved gold rush town. Launched by the discovery of gold at Alder Gulch in 1863, Virginia City quickly became the hottest mining town in the region until 1875, then enjoyed a second gold rush as gold became more valuable in the 1930s. In town, go to the Thompson-Hickman Museum for a fascinating array of old Virginia City artifacts. Just a few minutes away, the Nevada City Museum and Music Hall has the largest collection of Old West artifacts outside the Smithsonian and 100 preserved buildings that were originally erected between 1863 and the 1900s.
If you’d like to stay at the Nevada City site even longer, you can actually book a stay at one of the historic cabins. For something more convenient in town, try the Fairweather Inn, that’s existed in Virginia City since 1863, or book a local vacation rental for even more privacy and room to roam at a historic landmark like the Governor Meagher Cabin or the Bonanza Inn.
Jackson, Wyoming
Though Jackson may now be better known for its posh ski slopes and sky-high real estate prices, this Wyoming town wasn’t always so fancy. Located about 216 miles south of Bozeman and 275 miles northeast of Salt Lake City, Jackson—usually better known as Jackson Hole—places you close to the United States’ oldest national park. First established by Congress in 1872, Yellowstone National Park has timeless landmarks like the Old Faithful geyser, Mammoth Hot Springs, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Directly south is Grand Teton National Park, which was first established in 1929, then expanded in 1950 after two decades of conflict over the park’s boundaries, and is now beloved for its iconic mountain range.
For even more history in town, you’ll find the iconic Antler Arch that’s welcomed visitors to Jackson since the 1960s. Just steps away is the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, first established in 1937 and has since played host to legendary artists like Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker, and Kevin Costner. Less than a block away is The Wort Hotel, a 1941 landmark that now provides luxurious accommodations to make your stay feel like a million bucks.
Whitefish, Montana
Nestled in the beautiful Northern Rocky Mountains of northwest Montana (about 132 miles north of Missoula), Whitefish is a ski town that feels less like the typical contemporary resort town and more like a lovely corner of living history. For some incredibly scenic world history, head to Glacier National Park, which became part of the world’s first International Peace Park in 1932 (alongside Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park), and still wows visitors with over 700 miles of trails and one of the contiguous United States’ most extensive collection of glaciers.
For some more history in town, visit the Whitefish Performing Arts Center and catch a show at this 75-year-old venue that’s been lovingly restored to glory, and check out the Stumptown Historical Society’s Whitefish Museum for a unique collection of local historical artifacts inside the big historical artifact that is the town’s classic train station. When you’re ready to launch your own present-day adventures, hit Whitefish Mountain Resort for 111 named ski trails across some 3,000 acres. Then, enjoy a truly historic stay at The Firebrand, a cool and contemporary boutique hotel that brings cutting-edge style to the heart of the old downtown.
Aspen, Colorado
It might seem impossible to imagine Aspen as anything other than a hyper-exclusive and ultra-luxurious winter sports playground, but there was once a time when this town (about 127 miles east of Grand Junction and 197 miles west of Denver) had a more hardscrabble air about it. A short drive outside of town, the ghost towns of Ashcroft and Independence let you jump back in time to the heyday of the Roaring Fork Valley’s original 1880s gold rush. Back in town, you can also catch glimpses into Aspen’s mining and agricultural past at the Holden/Marolt Mining & Ranching Museum, and you can admire the stately elegance of the 1888 Queen Anne style manor that now houses the Wheeler/Stallard Museum.
Whenever you want to experience a different side of history, try one, two, three, or all four skiable mountains at the legendary Aspen Snowmass ski resort that helped put Aspen on the map of elite winter sports destinations. For a quieter refuge, head to John Denver Sanctuary for a beautiful monument to the resident singer-songwriter and the well-preserved wetlands park. And when you want to stay like a legend, book a room or suite at Hotel Jerome and roam the grounds where celebrities like Hunter S. Thompson, Jimmy Buffett, and the Eagles made history. Or, try The Little Nell for a full five-star luxury resort that also honors Aspen’s backstory as a rough-and-tumble mining town turned diamonds-and-denim ski haven.
Journey to the Past, and to Higher Ground
These eight towns in the Rockies do an amazing job of transporting visitors to the past. They’re also great at showing you all that’s great about the Rockies and the American West today. Whether you seek the more down-home welcoming energy of Virginia City, the proud indigenous heritage of Taos, or the ultimate rags-to-riches (then back to rags, and ultimately to wildly elite-level riches) stories of Park City and Aspen, you can find all of this and more in the Rockies. Enjoy your adventures, and discover your own great stories as you explore these amazing mountain towns.
