 The Cardinal Townsite began in 1870 when Sam Congor discovered silver
and gold at the Boulder County Mine. The town was originally platted to
hold the County Courthouse. Cardinal thrived through the silver boom of the
1870's as the red light district for Caribou City, two miles to the west. In
the 1890's, gold sustained the Boulder County Mine, and the Cardinal Mill
was built at the turn of the century. The Switzerland Trail of America, a
narrow gauge railroad for tourists enjoying the Indian Peaks, stopped at
Cardinal Station. During the World Wars, the Cardinal Mill processed tungsten needed for hardening steel.
 The Town of Cardinal spent sixty years as a ghost town under private
ownership. It has a colorful history which is being preserved through
preservation of 195 acres of mining claims as Open Space Park Lands and the
restoration of the Cardinal Mill. The Townsite has been divided into five
private homesites which sit in the sun beside Coon Track Creek. The Office,
The Assay Office, The Mine Superindent's house, The Compressor House and The
Creekside Boarding House have been remodeled to historic specifications.
The Nederland area boasts some of the Colorado Rockies best recreational
opportunities. Just twenty miles west into the mountains from Boulder, and
one hour from Denver, the location of Cardinal Townsite offers easy access
to Vail, Copper Mountain, and Aspen. The local ski area, Eldora Mountain
Resort, has a family oriented ski school, excellent alpine and
cross-country trails. You will find many exciting restaurants
representing a variety of cultures in the nearby town of Nederland.
In the summertime, enjoy mountain biking, hiking the peaks, fishing,
boating and music festivals, all right here in our Nederland area. Cardinal
Townsite is located where two creeks come together. The townsite is 9000
feet above sea level, so the temperatures are perfect all summer long.
Spring is beautiful in Cardinal, when the trees are green and the snow
drifts linger on the north slopes. Fall is famous in the Rockies for
it's bright Colorado aspens. This is a wonderful time to hike in Cardinal, Colorado. Winter offers the opportunity for excellent snowshoeing and cross-country skiing right out the door of the Cardinal Cabins on the old
Switzerland Trail.
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