Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · San Juan County, Colorado

Eureka

Ghost town in San Juan County, Colorado, United States.

Record

About Eureka

Eureka is an extinct mining town in northeastern San Juan County, Colorado, United States, along the Animas River, between Silverton and Animas Forks. The town derives its name from the Greek interjection Eureka!

This is a site record: what public sources say about Eureka, 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 Eureka is

USGS topographic map around Eureka
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

12 historic USGS maps cover Eureka

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 Eureka

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

Sources

Sources

  1. ghosttowns.com, "Eureka": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
  2. Wikipedia, "Eureka, Colorado": coordinates and summary.
  3. Wikidata Q12198672.
  4. USGS GNIS 187402.
  5. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  6. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).