The Crystal Mill
The Crystal Mill (Old Mill) or historically known as the Sheep Mountain Mill, is one of the most beautiful, picturesque and reputed to be the most photographed area in Colorado state. It’s located above the Crystal River in Crystal, Colorado, between the towns of Glenwood Springs and Aspen on Highway 82, seven miles southeast of Marble.
But what is this place actually?
Well, The Crystal Mill is a wooden powerhouse built in 1892, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Astonishing is that Crystal never had nor does it have now, electricity.
It is said that the mill harnessed the river adjacent to the mill to power the air compressor housed inside. Also, early engineers had built a dam across the river, which funneled water down the vertical penstock (the ladder-like structure) onto a horizontal wheel, which drove an axle in the penstock.
The penstock powered the air compressor. In turn, the enormous compressor ran drills in the nearby Sheep Mountain and Bear Mountain mines. The drills were used to bore holes in the mine walls for the placement of dynamite. After the dynamite was detonated, the miners removed the whole ore.
Even the operation shut down in 1917, the site has been preserved with the help of the Gunnison and Aspen historical societies and today The Crystal Mill remained an attraction for the city of Crystal.
The Crystal Mill is reachable only in the summer and fall months; it is accessed by a road that requires a four-wheel-drive vehicle, a sturdy pair of boots, a mountain bike or a horse.
You have to see this place for yourself. You will see it’s worth its tourist attraction status.
Greg Hughes/Flickr
Stuart Christie/Flickr
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Crystal Mill, Crystal River valley near Crystal, Gunnison County, Colorado, USA
- Coordinates
- 39.05899, -107.10446
- Access
- The mill stands on private property. Marble Tourism Association describes the rough, narrow one-lane 4WD road from Marble as reachable in summer and fall. Colorado Sun reporting (updated in 2024) says the owner removed and blocked the former riverbank footpath and that the mill remained visible from the road. No reopening of that path was confirmed in this review. Do not cross ropes, logs or no-trespassing signs; confirm current road status and boundaries before traveling.
- Admission
- No public admission gate or current general entry tariff is published by the local tourism association. The former riverside photo access fee reported by older sources is not a current fee for an open trail: the owner closed and blocked that path. Guided jeep tours are separate paid services; contact operators for current prices.
- Time needed
- No official time at the mill is published. A guided excursion from Marble takes about three hours in total; that is the tour, not time at the site. Independent hikes and rides vary with route and conditions.
- Best season
- Summer and fall, when the local tourism association says the road is reachable; seasonal conditions and access dates vary.
- Opening hours
- No fixed visitor hours are published. Road access is seasonal and conditions vary. The former riverbank photo path was reported removed and blocked; no reopening was confirmed in this review. View only from lawful public access and obey current signs. Confirm road status locally before setting out.
- Location checked
- 2026-10-27
- Facts checked
- 2026-10-27
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we will be on motorcycles, is there a paved road to get to Crystal Mill
Rough Jeep road only. Tours available through Crystal River Jeep Tours.