Collapsed + Abandoned: Historic Former Colorado Tunnel’s Story

While the days of the mining boom that brought settlers to the area that would eventually become known as Colorado seem like an eternity ago, there are plenty of examples of this historic time period still standing.

These relics of the state's past come in the form of ghost towns, abandoned mines, and a plethora of old tunnels that are still intact today.

Read More: Colorado's Creepy Tunnel: A Dark History Of Tragedy And Ghosts |

One of these tunnels carries quite a bit of significance with relation to Colorado's past as it was once considered the highest railroad tunnel in North America as well as the first of its kind to cross the Continental Divide via the Centennial State.

Historic Colorado Alpine Tunnel + its Story

The Alpine Tunnel was originally built as a means to transport miners, equipment, and minerals to and from Gunnison, Colorado back in 1880.

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The tunnel was completed in 1882, roughly a year after the projected date to be finished, by over 400 workers who faced adversity via especially brutal winter conditions.

At the time, it was the most expensive railroad tunnel to have ever been built in the United States. It measured 1,772 feet in length and cost roughly $300,000 to complete.

However, due to numerous accidents and other factors, the tunnel would be closed and abandoned by 1910, leaving it to collapse and become a thing of legend eventually.

The site of one of the Alpine Tunnel's entrances has since been restored by volunteers and is open to the public during summer months, but the tunnel itself remains buried beneath the ground.

Keep scrolling to check out what the site of Colorado's historic Alpine Tunnel looks  like today: