Stout

Stout is a ghost town in southern Larimer County, Colorado, tucked into the foothills southwest of Fort Collins just west of the Dakota Hogback. Its origins trace to the 1860s, when workers arrived to labor at stone quarries operating in the surrounding valley. The site drew significant investment from the Union Pacific Railroad, and at its peak the Colorado and Southern Railway extended a spur line from Fort Collins directly to the town to haul quarried stone out of the area.

Today Stout is a quiet remnant of that industrial past. Visitors exploring the area will find a foothills setting shaped more by nature reclaiming the land than by any preserved townsite infrastructure. Access is the primary practical consideration — the surrounding terrain is best navigated in the warmer months, and winter conditions in this foothills zone can make travel difficult.