Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory

Gothic, Colorado is an abandoned mining town in the West Elk Mountains of Gunnison County, near Crested Butte, that found a second life as a scientific institution rather than fading into pure ruin. The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory has operated here since 1928, transforming the old townsite into a high-altitude field station dedicated to ecological research, climate change studies, pollination biology, and a long-running investigation of the yellow-bellied marmot.

Visitors to Gothic today encounter a working research campus rather than a purely derelict ghost town. The laboratory hosts undergraduate courses and supports National Science Foundation-funded students, so the site has an active, seasonal human presence. The historic bones of the mining-era settlement remain embedded in a striking mountain setting, making it a compelling destination for anyone interested in where frontier history and modern science intersect.

Access is near Crested Butte, and the high-altitude location means the site is best visited in summer and early fall. Winter conditions at this elevation in the West Elk Mountains render the area difficult or dangerous to reach.