Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Lake County, Colorado

Dayton

Ghost town in Colorado, US.

Record

About Dayton

Dayton is an extinct town in Lake County, Colorado, located on the site of what is now Twin Lakes. Like the larger nearby towns of Granite and Oro City, Dayton formed rapidly during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush and failed quickly when the local mining industry collapsed.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Dayton, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Dayton is

USGS topographic map around Dayton
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

15 historic USGS maps cover Dayton

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Dayton

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Colorado index.

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Dayton, Colorado": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q118875342.
  3. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  4. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).