We’ve heard our fair share of Crested Butte ghost stories over the years. From haunted hotels and restaurants to ghoulish hitchhikers. It’s these tales that make Crested Butte the Most Haunted Ski Town in America.
One of our favorite and probably most well know is the tale of Elizabeth. The story starts with a rambling gambler blowing into town sometime around 1884. He took up shop at Kochevar’s Saloon, the local gambling hall. Next door to Kochevar’s is the Forest Queen Hotel which at that time was a brothel. Madam “Liz” fell in love with the young man and gave him her life savings to gamble with. One evening he gambled late into the night, eventually winning big.
The next morning he and Liz’s life savings were gone. Heartbroken and distraught, Liz jumped from the 2nd story window of Room #4 of the Forest Queen Hotel into the icy waters of Coal Creek. Her ghost haunts the hotel to this day. Several years ago, paranormal experts from the Discovery Channel visited the Forest Queen Hotel and determined that it was indeed, “very haunted”.
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Photo by Aleksandar Cvetanović