POPULATION: 1,455 ELEVATION: 7,884 DISTANCE FROM DENVER: 218 miles / 4 hours
Del Norte, Colorado, is like that quiet kid in class who, out of nowhere, becomes the unexpected hero of the school play—awkwardly charming, slightly mysterious, and suddenly impossible to ignore. Set snugly in the San Luis Valley, about three hours south of Denver, this high-desert hideout used to be the kind of place you’d miss if you blinked while passing through. But blink twice, and you might just witness its transformation from mining relic to the epicenter of what could be described as a low-key hipster renaissance.
This burgeoning interest in Del Norte is a curious blend of affordability and the frontier spirit—a chance to build something from the groundmining town is now buzzing with an energy that’s as infectious as it is unexpected, and the renaissance is heralded by the soft buzz of mountain bike tires and the clinking of craft beer glasses.
