Pandora

Colorado's high-country ghost towns sit at altitudes that would give a flatlander nosebleeds — silver camps killed by an 1893 vote in Washington.

Pandora is an unincorporated community located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Telluride in San Miguel County, Colorado. Pandora was founded in the 1880s as a mill town, serving as the site for mills of the Smuggler-Union, Tomboy, and Sheridan mines. The Rio Grande Southern railroad's Telluride branch terminated at the mills in Pandora. Milling largely ended during World War 2 (when by government order all precious metals mines were closed), by which time the townsite was largely covered in mill tailings. The Pandora Mill, previously one of the Smuggler Union mills, still stands at Pandora.

The on-the-ground condition of Pandora is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Pandora is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.