Fort Saint Vrain

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

The Fort St. Vrain Nuclear Power Plant is a former commercial nuclear power station located near the town of Platteville in northern Colorado in the United States. It originally operated from 1979 until 1989. It had a 330 MWe high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). The plant was decommissioned between 1989 and 1992. In 1996, it was converted into a conventional natural gas powered generating station, which as of 2011 has a capacity of just under 1000 MW.

Fort Saint Vrain started with soldiers before it had settlers — the frontier's usual order of operations.

The on-the-ground condition of Fort Saint Vrain 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 Fort Saint Vrain 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.