Crystal Mill
The Crystal Mill is the weathered wooden powerhouse perched on a rock ledge above the Crystal River in the old mining camp of Crystal, about six rugged miles east of Marble. Built in 1892 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it may be the most photographed spot in Colorado, and getting there over a rough four-wheel-drive road is half the adventure.
Crystal Mill in Marble, CO
Crystal was a silver mining camp in the 1880s and 1890s, and the mill was built in 1892 for the Sheep Mountain Tunnel and Mining Company. Despite its name, it wasn’t a stamp mill. It was a powerhouse: water from the Crystal River turned a horizontal wheel that ran an air compressor, sending compressed air to the miners’ drills and powering a mill nearby. When the silver market crashed in 1893, the camp began to fade, and the powerhouse was finally shut down in 1917. Over the decades the surrounding buildings disappeared, but the mill on its outcrop survived, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Today it’s privately owned and preserved by its owners, who ask visitors to admire it from the road.
The trip is the adventure. From Marble, Forest Road 314 (the Crystal River Road) climbs past Beaver Lake and along narrow shelves above the river, with rocky ledges that call for a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle and experience. Many visitors book a jeep tour from Marble, or hike or mountain bike the road instead. At the Crystal townsite, the mill comes into view at a bend in the river with the little waterfall tumbling beneath it. The setting is spectacular in every season the road is open: green and roaring in early summer, then framed by golden aspens in late September. Photographers come back again and again, but please remember the riverbank trail below the mill is closed and the mill itself is off-limits.
Photo Gallery
Photo credits: Crystal Mill Colorado by ValentinaGatewood (CC BY-SA 4.0); Crystal Mill – 54854940552 by Andrew Kearns (CC BY 4.0); Crystal Mill – Flickr – Andrew V Kearns by Andrew Kearns (CC BY 4.0); Crystal Mill – Marble, Colorado by Robert M. Russell (CC BY-SA 4.0); Crystal Mill waterfall1 by Andrew Kearns (CC BY 4.0); Crystal Mill-1 by Int77345 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Crystal Mill1 by Janusz Sobolewski (CC BY 2.0); The Crystal Mill (8047304715) by John Fowler (CC BY 2.0); The Mill, Crystal Colorado by Ajg666 (CC BY-SA 4.0). Images via Wikimedia Commons.
News & Events
The Forest Service lists Forest Road 314 between Marble and Crystal as open this fall, with possible delays on the stretch between Crystal and Marble, and early snow can close the road without much warning. The Crystal General Store is closed, so bring everything you need. Check the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District page for alerts and current road conditions before you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do at the Crystal Mill?
- Photography: Capture one of Colorado’s most famous historic scenes.
- Four-wheel driving: Tackle the rugged Crystal River Road from Marble.
- Jeep tours: Let a Marble outfitter do the driving.
- Hiking and biking: Walk or ride the road to the townsite.
- Fall color: See the valley’s aspens turn gold in late September.
What is nearby the Crystal Mill?
- Glenwood Hot Springs Resort: The giant hot springs pool in Glenwood Springs.
- Iron Mountain Hot Springs: Riverside soaking pools in Glenwood.
- Hanging Lake: A famous turquoise lake in Glenwood Canyon (permit required).
- Marble: The tiny town known for the quarry that supplied the Lincoln Memorial’s marble.
How much does it cost to visit the Crystal Mill?
There’s no fee to view the Crystal Mill from the road. Jeep tours and 4×4 rentals from Marble are priced by each outfitter.
When is the Crystal Mill open?
The mill can be viewed from the road any time the road is passable, usually from late spring through fall. Snow typically closes Forest Road 314 to vehicles in winter.
Are there any tips for visiting the Crystal Mill?
Don’t attempt the road in a regular car: you’ll need a high-clearance 4WD and experience on rocky shelf roads, or a guided tour. The mill is on private property, so stay on the road and don’t go inside or down to the river. Start early to avoid traffic on narrow sections, carry water and food, and expect little to no cell service.
The Crystal Mill is on Forest Road 314 at the Crystal townsite, about 6 miles east of Marble, CO 81623. Call the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District at 970-963-2266 or visit fs.usda.gov for road information.