The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
As a state built during the mining era and steeped in the rich history of the American Wild West culture, Colorado is home to plenty of legends and tall tales. Some are true, and some are false, but they’re all pretty interesting. Here are a few of the local favorites.
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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16. The Crucifixions of Penitente Canyon
Located close to Del Norte, there’s a good chance you haven’t heard of Penitente Canyon, which is unfortunate – it’s an awesome place for hiking, biking, and climbing. While it all fun and games now, it has a darker past. It was originally named for the Los Hermanos Penitente (the Repentant Brothers), one of Southwestern America’s most mysterious religious groups. Their name stuck on the canyon because they allegedly hosted their secret ritualistic meetings there. What allegedly happened at these meetings? Literal reenactments of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which included nailing men to a heavy, wooden cross, as well as self-flagellation.
Photo Credit: Stewart M. Green
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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15. The Gold Filled Cave on Marble Mountain
Called La Caverna del Oro, this limestone cave was once rumored to be home to a gold mining operation led by Spaniards residing in Mexico. By enslaving locals, the Spaniards and company, including three monks, started digging for gold at roughly 13,000 feet until they’d uncovered as much as they could and still make the return trip to Mexico. The Spaniards then killed their slaves before leaving, perhaps to hide the location of the site, though they never returned for more gold.
Photo Credit: @2018 Google Maps
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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The Gold Filled Cave on Marble Mountain (cont.)
Years later in 1869, a man named Captain Elisha Horn claimed to find the cave marked with a cross painted near the entrance, accompanied by the remains of a Spanish soldier. Since then, a number of spelunkers have gone searching for a wooden door said to hide the still-full gold mine within the caverns, but all were forced to turn back. Allegedly, the caverns inside of the cave are some of the most difficult and dangerous to navigate in the state.
This legend is one that's since been debunked, said by some to be a hoax meant to drum up newspaper sales.
Photo Credit: Luftklick
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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14. The Death of Emma Crawford
A sick Emma came to Manitou Springs in the late 1800s with her mother, seeking the healing properties of the mineral water in the area during a time when tuberculosis was relatively common. She was engaged to be married after she had beaten her illness but died a few days prior to her wedding due to another wave of sickness. The second wave struck her after climbing the nearby “Red Mountain”, following directions from an apparition of her Native American spirit guide. After her death, her fiancé and 11 other men took her casket to the summit of Red Mountain, despite lacking the proper permits. A flood soon occurred, resulting in a landslide that brought her casket back into town. Throughout the years, various parts of her body have been found, including her skull.
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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The Death of Emma Crawford (cont.)
Emma's remains are now at the nearby Crystal Valley Cemetery, with a local event called the Emma Crawford Coffin Races commemorating her role in the town’s history.
Photo Credit: Christian Murdock, Colorado Springs Gazette
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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13. Colorado's Last Grizzly
Once upon a time, grizzly bears were a common sight in Colorado, but it’s been decades since they’ve been seen. The last one was spotted in 1979 by a man named Ed Wiseman as he was hunting near the Continental Divide in the south San Juans. He accidentally cornered the bear on a ridge, prompting it to attack him, leaving him severely mauled. That’s not the crazy part though. What’s crazy is how he fought back.
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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Colorado's Last Grizzly (cont.)
Using a hand-held arrow he repeatedly stabbed the bear until it stopped moving. Keep in mind that female grizzlies can weigh anywhere from 300-450 pounds. When Ed eventually got back to civilization, no one believed any part of his story – both that he killed a grizzly with an arrow or that he even saw one in the first place. In an attempt to figure out the truth, they gave Ed a lie detector test. He passed.
RELATED: Colorado's Weirdest Hikes
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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12. The Colorado Cannibal
Once upon a time, a man by the name of Alferd Packer set out on an expedition towards Breckenridge with five other men. He was eventually found near Gunnison as the last surviving member of the party. At first, he claimed he was abandoned. Then he said that another man in the group snapped, attacking him and the others. However, as time passed, more holes formed in Packer’s story, and mounting evidence pointed towards a much darker tale.
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorad
The Colorado Cannibal (cont.)
As weather grew harsh, men started dying, subsequently eaten by the rest of the group. When only three people were left, another member shot and killed the other remaining person, leaving only him and Packer. Out of what Packer claims was self-defense, he then killed this man, packed up some of his kill for sustenance, and moved on. He ended up being charged with murder, which was downgraded to five counts of manslaughter. He was eventually paroled for his crimes, living out the rest of his days in Deer Creek until 1907. With his death, the potential of ever finding out what really happened in those mountains also died.
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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11. The Secret Cave at the Garden of the Gods
Even if you’ve been to the Garden of the Gods, you probably haven’t heard of Spaulding’s Cavern. Discovered by Jacob Spaulding in 1848 on North Gateway Rock near the Kissing Camels, this massive but narrow cavern was once quite popular amongst visitors. It was rediscovered in the 1930s but was quickly sealed when it was deemed too dangerous for visitors to explore due to fragile rock and erosion.
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
The Secret Cave at the Garden of the Gods (cont.)
The cave didn’t stay closed for long, naturally reopening in 1963 due to erosion. Again, it was promptly sealed to prevent injury and death amongst visitors. It’s said to still be sealed today and their aren’t any signs of it opening up any time soon. But it’s there, and it’s filled with signatures of those once brave enough to enter.
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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10. The Appearance of the Angel of Shavano
One of the most recognizable 14er features in the state, the Angel of Shavano is the intersection of snow fields on Mount Shavano. According to local legends, this snow field wasn’t always there. One story is that this angel appeared after Ute Tribal Leader, Shavano, prayed for a dying friend, George Beckwith.
A second story about the Angel of Shavano that's also tied to Native American roots is that a Native American princess once sacrificed herself for much-needed rain. Her representation as an angel on the mountain still appears each year for the same purpose of bringing water to the dry lands.
Photo Credit: dherrera_96 (Flickr)
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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9. Butch Cassidy's Missing Gold
While the Front Range isn’t typically where you’d expect to find an outlaw’s hidden gold, the infamous Butch Cassidy (pictured on the bottom right) is said to have buried the spoils of his bank robberies in El Paso County. Obviously, the exact location of the treasure is still unknown, though it’s said to be near the town of Monument, totaling $100,000 worth of cash from the late 1800s.
Photo Credit: KurtClark (Flickr)
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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8. The Grave of a Vampire
If you’re into ghost-hunting or up for an odd adventure, you might want to consider hunting down the grave of a vampire in Lafayette, Colorado. Found at Lafayette Municipal Cemetery, there’s a grave marker for a man named John Trandifir from Transylvania that passed in 1918 at the age of 27. That might not sound too spooky at first, but when you consider the many reports through the years of strange voices, lights, and plant growth around the grave, things get a little more eerie. Couple that with what local paranormal investigator
Drea Penndragonpicked up during her visit and you’ve got a classic ghost story. The message she heard – “Do you want to see my stake?”
Photo Credit: Henry Huang (Google Maps)
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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7. The Tommyknockers Inside Colorado Mines
The mining industry had a huge impact on Colorado’s past, helping to shape the Centennial State into what it is today. Many cities and towns across the state got their start during the mining era, especially those found in the high country such as Leadville and Telluride. With this huge influx of miners coming came several new legends including that of the Tommyknockers. These “Tommyknockers” were said to be tiny old men, green and wrinkled, that hung out in the mines and knocked along the walls of the caverns.
Photo Credit: Agent Smith (Flickr)
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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The Tommyknockers Inside Colorado Mines (cont.)
If the tommyknocker knocks were present, it was a good thing, as this meant the good fortune of the tommyknockers was with the miners, sure to warn them of tunnel collapses and other troubles. If the knocks were gone, it meant that the tommyknockers had been disrespected and left. The presence of tommyknockers was the reason that many old mines were not completely sealed. After all, they had be to given a way out to follow the miners to their next location.
Photo Credit: Larry Myhre
RELATED: Colorado's Weirdest Hikes
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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6. That Time Colorado Springs Fell Into Darkness
An early pioneer in the field of electricity, Nikola Tesla is best known for the Tesla Coil, an electrical resonant transformer circuit. During the development of this Coil, he conducted a lot of his experiments in Colorado Springs. Not only did the dry air and frequent electric storms in the area cater to Tesla’s tests, the city also gave him free land and power. However, that all changed in 1899 when Tesla set out to create a lightning bolt of his own.
Photo Credit: raciro
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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That Time Colorado Springs Fell Into Darkness (cont.)
He was successful, blasting a bolt out that was over 100 feet long, with its thunder heard over 20 miles away in Cripple Creek – that was, until the power went out. His experiment had sent darkness across the entire town of Colorado Springs, lighting the electric company’s equipment on fire in the process. After that, his power was cut off and his lab was broken down to pay for the generator he had destroyed.
Photo Credit: Cappan
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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5. The Dead Animals of the San Luis Valley
One of the more disturbing unexplained phenomena that has occurred in Colorado is the mysterious deaths of farm animals throughout the San Luis Valley during the 1960s. Farmers were frequently finding their animals dead, skinned alive and with various features removed with expertise. The animals were also found with their blood drained, though there was no mess or indicator as to how.
Photo Credit: Pavliha
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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The Dead Animals of the San Luis Valley (cont.)
This strange happening was also occurring in other sparsely populated areas of the country, such as Kansas and Minnesota. By the time the FBI got involved, there were more than 100 incidents spanning nine states over the course of a couple years. Eventually, it was concluded that the mutilations were the result of natural causes, though many angry farmers beg to differ.
Photo Credit: Adventure_Images
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
4. The UFOs of Hooper, Colorado
If you’re striking out on a road trip to see all things abnormal in Colorado, you’ve probably got the UFO Watchtower in Hooper on your list. Standing a couple stories tall, this spot is said to be the best place to catch a view of the clear night sky surrounded by the vast darkness of the nearly empty San Luis Valley. If you hunt down the accounts of people that have been to this attraction, you’ll find many reports of strange flashes to glowing orbs in the sky.
Experts on one side of the debate claim that the UFOs may be attracted to this part of Colorado because of the presence of geothermal water. The opposing experts argue that the isolated location of the valley leads people to believe they see things that aren’t really there.
Photo Credit: Larry1732
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
3. The Many Denver Airport Conspiracies
If you’ve been around Colorado for awhile, you’ve probably heard someone bring up questions regarding the peculiarities of Denver International Airport. There are a ton of conspiracy theories surrounding this building, and it all started with the construction. Massive delays of 16 months and a $4.8 billion price tag ($2 billion over budget) led people to think something was going on that they didn’t know about. It’s also the largest airport in the United States for no apparent reason, nearly double the size of the second largest. Then there was a former construction worker who claimed that there were five multi-level buildings beneath the airport built for an unknown purpose.
Photo Credit: tvirbickis
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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The Many Denver Airport Conspiracies (cont.)
If that’s not enough, there’s also super creepy
muralson the walls that some people claim depict an apocalyptic scenario in which the New World Order is taking over the modern world.
Photo Credit: maxim303 (Flickr)
RELATED: What the murals really mean...
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
The Many Denver Airport Conspiracies (cont.)
These fears have also stemmed from the airport’s dedication stone, displaying a Masonic symbol and giving thanks to the “New World Airport Commission” for their support in funding the project. Is something strange happening at Denver International Airport? Probably not, but perhaps.
Photo Credit: BryanAlexander (Flickr)
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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The Many Denver Airport Conspiracies (cont.)
As if all of the aforementioned oddities at the Denver International Airport weren't enough, there's also the Blue Mustang sculpture, commonly known as Blucifer. With glowing red eyes, he's definitely an strange way to greet visitors to the state. What's especially creepy about him is that he killed his creator, Luis Jiménez, when a section of the 9,000 pound horse fell on him during construction, fatally severing an artery in his leg.
Photo Credit: Mike Sinko (Flickr)
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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2. The Military Base Hidden Inside of a Mountain
Standing tall over Colorado Springs, Cheyenne Mountain is notorious for hiding a military installation beneath its surface: the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, part of the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station. Originally, this structure and nuclear bunker was the center for the United States Space Command and NORAD, responsible for monitoring the airspace above the United States and Canada. As of 2008, the complex has been redesignated as an air force station, and as far as the public knows, it’s used for flight crew training.
Perhaps the craziest part about this base are the specs. Not only is it under 2,000 feet of granite, it’s also got 25-ton blast doors capable of withstanding a 30 megaton nuclear explosion from a mile away. To put that in perspective, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever tested by the US had a yield of 15 megatons, a yield that dwarfs anything that’s actually been used.
Photo Credit: Airman Magazine (Flickr)
RELATED: Colorado's Weirdest Hikes
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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1. The Lost Graves of Denver
Did you know that Cheesman Park in Denver used to be a massive cemetery? Originally a 320-acre hillside plot on the edge of the city, urban population growth slowly consumed the surrounding area, which led to the cemetery space being repurposed. Once filled with the remains of early pioneers, the decision to move the bodies to a new location was made in 1890. Most of the marked graves of wealthier inhabitants were easily found and moved, while the sections for the poor, the unclaimed, or criminals weren’t treated with quite as much dignity. The person in charge of removing the bodies was given a per casket price, which led to him filling smaller child-sized caskets with the mix of remains as more caskets moved meant more money.
Unfortunately, the man paid to handle digging up the bodies hadn’t been paid to refill the graves. This meant that countless unsightly holes started to pop up, raising a public outcry that eventually resulted in the city dissolving the contract with their gravedigger. The gravedigger packed up and left, leaving thousands of graves and a collection of human remains behind. The city eventually flattened out the land and made it look pretty again, transforming the space into Cheesman Park, the Denver Botanical Gardens, and City Park...but they didn’t remove the rest of the remains. Today, tons of people enjoy these places not knowing about their darker past...that is,
until the occasional bone creeps up. According to some, you can still see where the graves once were in the grass on the brightest of nights.
Photo Credit: david_shankbone (Flickr)
The 16 Wildest Legends of Colorado
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BONUS: The Tunnels of Old Colorado City
An early mining town, Old Colorado City had tunnels beneath the streets that connected normal storefronts to brothels, gambling halls, and bars. This allowed for its residents and visitors to partake in their favorite vice unnoticed. Read more about it
here.
Photo Credit: Old Colorado City via Facebook
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