Alice, Colorado: The Gold Camp Where the Mine Was Filled In

Alice, Colorado is an abandoned gold mining camp in Clear Creek County, roughly seven miles northwest of Central City near St. Mary's Glacier. It was, in its prime, the largest mining camp on the Fall River between Central City and Georgetown — two of the richest gold districts in the American West. Today it's a recreation area and former industrial site, with nothing left of the original mining town.

01Why Was Alice Founded?

Alice emerged in 1880 when prospectors used hydraulic mining techniques to capture free gold from the mountainsides. The practice — blasting hillsides with high-pressure water jets to wash out gold-bearing gravel — was a natural next step from placer mining in Clear Creek's streams. When the loose deposits ran out, miners dug into the rock and found lode gold: ore veins that required tunnels and timbering.

The camp took its name from the Alice Mine, the first major development in the district. The mine sat in what would be called the Alice Mining District (also known as the Yankee Mining District or Lincoln Mining District) in north-central Clear Creek County.

02Why Was Alice Important?

Alice's significance was its ore grade. A Colorado newspaper reported on December 22, 1894: "A very rich body of ore has been encountered in the Alice property at Yankee Hill, running from 40 to 50 ounces of gold per ton. It is also stated to be wonderfully rich in native silver. A piece of ore blown out was estimated to be 50 percent brittle silver."

Forty to fifty ounces per ton is extraordinary. Most profitable gold mines during this era operated at one to two ounces per ton. Even briefly, those grades would have made Alice one of the highest-producing mines in Colorado.

03What Happened to Alice?

The Alice Mine operated from the 1880s until approximately 1938, a fifty-year run that outlasted most Colorado gold camps. But ore grades declined over the decades. The easy rich veins were worked out. The Depression and World War II's restrictions on civilian gold mining accelerated the closure.

By mid-century, the mine was shuttered and the town was emptying. The schools closed. The stores closed. Residents moved to Central City, Idaho Springs, or down to Denver.

04The 1988 Reclamation

Alice's distinctive feature among Colorado ghost towns is that the mine itself no longer exists. In 1988, environmental reclamation operations filled in the Alice Mine completely. The shaft, the tunnels, the tailings — all were backfilled and the landscape restored. This is uncommon. Most Colorado mines were abandoned but not physically erased.

05What Remains of Alice Today

The townsite near St. Mary's Glacier remains accessible. Some foundations and mining infrastructure survive in the surrounding terrain. The St. Mary's Glacier area is a popular hiking and recreation destination, and visitors occasionally explore the Alice townsite as part of broader Clear Creek County mining history tours. The specific location of the former Alice Mine is reclaimed landscape — grassed over, with no visible mine workings.

For visitors wanting to see well-preserved Colorado gold camps, Central City and Georgetown (both National Historic Landmarks) are nearby alternatives with intact nineteenth-century streetscapes.