Colorado’s most remote town with just 432 residents has outstanding natural beauty but a very dark history

Tucked high in the San Juan Mountains, Lake City, Colorado, is one of the most remote towns in the United States.

The town sits deep in rugged terrain and is accessible only by winding roads that cross mountain passes.

It is also the only incorporated community in Hinsdale County, and its year-round population in 2020 was just 432, according to the U.S. Census Bureau – making it part of one of the least populated counties in Colorado.

The town’s official website notes that its isolation has earned it a reputation as one of the most remote communities in the lower 48 states.

According to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), Lake City lies at the confluence of Henson Creek and the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River, surrounded by peaks and alpine valleys.

Scenic routes such as the Alpine Loop and Silver Thread byways begin there, leading travelers past ghost towns, historic mining sites, and high mountain trails.

Lake City was founded in the 1870s during the mineral rush and served as a supply hub for surrounding camps. Explore.com reports that during its boom years, the population may have reached several thousand.

When the mines closed, the town’s remoteness spared it from redevelopment. The ACHP notes that more than 75 buildings from the 1800s still stand in its historic district, which visitors can tour today.

Lake San Cristobal in Lake City, Colorado, is seen above

Today the economy relies on summer visitors for hiking, fishing, camping, off-roading, and ghost-town tours

Downtown Lake City preserves more than 75 buildings from the 1800s, many dating back to the mining boom of the 1870s

Hikers take in sweeping views of the San Juan Mountains near Lake City, an area popular for off-roading, backpacking, and scenic drives along the Alpine Loop

Map showing Lake City in southwestern Colorado, located in the San Juan Mountains near Lake San Cristobal and Uncompahgre Peak

The Alfred Packer case

Lake City is perhaps best known for one of the West’s grimmest survival stories.

In late 1873, prospector Alferd Packer set out across the San Juans with five other men.

By the spring thaw of 1874, only Packer returned. According to the Colorado Encyclopedia, the skeletal remains of his companions were later discovered near Slumgullion Pass, showing signs of cannibalism.

Packer gave conflicting accounts – sometimes claiming the men died of starvation and that he ate flesh only to survive, while at other times admitting he had killed one of them.

In 1883, Packer was tried at the Hinsdale County Courthouse in Lake City and sentenced to hang, according to LakeCity.com.

The conviction was overturned, but a second trial in 1886 convicted him of voluntary manslaughter. He received 40 years but was paroled in 1901.

The Hinsdale County Museum today holds artifacts from the case, including shackles used on Packer and buttons from the victims’ clothing. The museum also hosts courthouse talks and cemetery tours.

The massacre site itself is closed to the public, as it sits on private land, Uncover Colorado reports.

A portrait of prospector Alfred Packer, who became infamous as the ‘Colorado Cannibal’ after five of his companions died during a winter expedition in 1874

The site where Alferd Packer’s companions were found near Slumgullion Pass is now known as the ‘Packer Massacre Site,’ but it sits on private land and is closed to the public

Historic storefronts in downtown Lake City, Colorado, where more than 75 buildings from the 1800s remain preserved

Lake San Cristobal, the second-largest natural lake in Colorado, located just outside Lake City

A sign points to the Lake City Packer Massacre site in Colorado

Historians remain divided over whether Packer was a desperate survivor or a murderer. However, modern forensic interpretations remain inconclusive, according to MuseumTrail.org

Beyond its dark history

Lake City is also linked to Colorado’s mining past. The Golden Fleece Mine, about five miles south of town, was one of the richest in the region, producing more than $1 million in silver and gold by 1904, according to the ACHP.

When mining collapsed, the economy shifted to tourism. By the 1930s, auto travelers were staying in old cabins and exploring the mountains.

Today, tourism is central to the town’s survival. Explore.com lists hiking, fishing, off-roading, and ghost-town exploration among the most popular activities.

Lake City also caters to modern adventurers. Rocky Mountain PBS reports that the town’s Trail Hiker Center supports long-distance trekkers on the Colorado Trail each summer, offering showers, supplies, and a place to rest.