Mountains

Lulu City is a ghost town at the top of the Colorado River

History and culture Grand County ghost town mining history rocky mountain national park

Up the valley above Grand Lake, where the Colorado River is still a small mountain stream, there was once a town called Lulu City.

It started around 1879 and 1880, after prospectors found silver in the upper valley. For a short time it had cabins, businesses, and big hopes. But the ore turned out to be low grade, and it cost too much to haul anything out of such a remote, high place. Within a few years the miners moved on. By the mid-1880s Lulu City was empty.

Today the site sits inside Rocky Mountain National Park, in the Kawuneeche Valley. A few cabin ruins and foundations are all that remain. You reach it on foot from the Colorado River Trailhead on the park’s west side, following a long trail along the young river. It is a real hike, not a roadside stop.

Lulu City is a good reminder of how Grand County’s high country was settled and then abandoned in waves, chasing metal that did not pay off. The trail and the history are managed by the National Park Service, so check the park’s official trailhead page for distance, conditions, and any entry rules before you go.

Sources

Official or primary sources used for this note. Local details can change, so confirm before acting.

Reviewed: June 11, 2026 National Park Service History Colorado

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