FAQs for Marble, Colorado
The Need to Know Information about Marble
Marble, founded in 1899, is famous for the Yule Marble Quarry located at an elevation of 9,500-ft. The quarry, first discovered in the late 1870’s, produces a beautiful, flawless white marble used to build the Lincoln Memorial in 1916 and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 1931.
THE LEAD KING LOOP:
The old mining road between Marble and Crystal City through Lead King Basin is now a popular and challenging jeep/ATV road. The 11-mile Lead King Basin loop is only recommended for experienced drivers. The Crystal Mill, a photogenic wood mill built in 1893, the ghost town of Crystal, and the beautiful scenery are the main attractions along the route.
The Mill and the ghost town are located 6 miles east of Marble and are accessible in the summer via the very rocky one-lane road. You need a high clearance 4WD vehicle to reach these sites.
Check on local conditions before setting out on your own.
PARKING & SPEED LIMITS:
For the safety of residents and visitors alike, public parking is limited in Marble and Beaver Lake up to Daniels Hill. Public parking areas are posted. Trailer parking is limited to designated areas, by the Mill Site Park. Please plan accordingly. You can drive your OHV through town to the Lead King Loop Trailhead. Be respectful of residential private property. Improperly parked vehicles will be towed.
Please SLOW GROOVE your way through town, most speed limits are 15-20MPH.
GAS & GROCERY:
The nearest full-service grocery store or gas station is in Carbondale, 28 miles north of CO Highway 133, and Paonia, 35 miles south on CO Highway 133.
CAMPING:
The National Forest Service operates the Bogan Flats Campground, located 1.5 miles up CO 3 (the road to Marble) along the Crystal River. Sites are reservable on www.recreation.gov.
Marble Campground, at 215 W Park Street in Marble, offers camping and RV sites with a bathhouse, electric and water hookups, and a dump station.
No camping in town limits other than these designated campgrounds.
Dispersed camping spots are available on Mcclure Pass and there are limited designated car camping sites along the jeep road to Crystal City on the Lead King Loop, only accessible for those with a high-clearance 4WD vehicle.
FISHING:
Beaver Lake State Wildlife Area. The lake, wetlands and hillsides surrounding Marble are home to a myriad of bird species including Redwing Blackbirds and Bald Eagles. Our four-legged neighbors are elk, moose, bear, raccoons, and water creatures like beavers and crayfish. The lake is stocked with trout by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and is a year-round fishing spot.
Note: effective 2020, a new requirement by CPW is that everyone 18 and older on the lake, including watercraft users, must have a valid license which can be purchased through CPW authorized sales agents, by phone (1-800-244-5613) or online at CPWShop.
