Just north of Crested Butte in western Colorado’s West Elk Mountains lies the gorgeous little ghost town of Gothic, so named for the rocky spires that overlook the town like so many medieval church towers. The town has a handful of hearty, year-round residents, but in the summer it is populated mostly by climate researchers and hikers heading up into the Maroon Bells Wilderness area. An easy 2-hour drive from Salida, and typically about 15 degrees cooler than S-Town–what are you waiting for?! #coloradoghosttown #climateresearch #coloradohikes