Road To Crystal, Colorado Open!

Yeah, not much of a worldwide appeal, but for those that can make it the water should be ROARING at the mill. Smitty from Crystal River Jeep Tours let me know the road was opened yesterday.

This is quick conversion of a shot from a few years ago of the mill.

Nice shot of the "mill". Fond memories of the trip up to Crystal City, and many other places in that beautiful state.

Oooh! I hope to get there this year. But it's best in the fall with color IMO.

Spring is nice as well when you have the river roaring over the rocks sending the mist into the air and creating rainbows everywhere.

This one is from July of 2008.

That's really cool! I need to learn more about that place.

It was constructed over a 100 years ago and was used to produce compressed air to run the tools in the nearby mines as well as run the ore crusher that stood to the right (as you look at the mill).

I have some video of the mill on my blog.

love the color in that first shot

awesome photo!!

Great shots - both photo's are really nice.

Thanks for the nice comments, greatly appreciated. The Crystal Mill is really a place to put on your 'list'. There is so much to see in the area.

Very nice!!!

Fantastic, such a picturesque and tranquil looking place with beautiful colours.

Nicely done.

Nice photos! I'm glad to hear the road is open, we will be there in a few weeks.

What's the best way to get to the mill? We will be in a Jeep Cherokee and have several books/maps, but there seem to be several ways to get to the mill.

Thanks again gang.

Best way to the Mill is by going throuh Marble, past Lily Lake and up Daniel's Hill. It's the only road past the lake. Once you get into Marble (you will drive past the fire station at a four way stop sign...sometimes only a three-way stop....) keep going on the main road. Should be signs up pointing the way to Crystal City.

That's the only way to get to the Mill from the Marble side. You do not want to access it from Crested Butte. Too dangerous and that road may not even be open yet (there have been years that it remained closed).

Best time to shoot the Mill is late afternoon. Any other time and the sun is much too harsh.

You will want to leave EARLY giving yourself plenty of time on the road to the Mill for photos and just driving slowly. That also gives you time in Crystal City which is a couple of minutes from the mill.

Feel free to PM me with any questions. I've been up that road and to the Mill more times than I can remember.

Don't rely on maps getting to Crystal. Most are not accurate and do not take into account the nasty roads/trails. There are really only two ways to drive into the Mill. Through Crested Butte and through Marble.