Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Gunnison County, Colorado

Iola

Extinct human settlement in America.

Record

About Iola

Iola is an extinct town located in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The community was inundated and destroyed by the creation of Blue Mesa Reservoir.

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

USGS topographic map around Iola
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

9 historic USGS maps cover Iola

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 Iola

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

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Iola, Colorado": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q24901349.
  3. USGS GNIS 196437.
  4. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  5. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).