Lake City

Lake City has a population of only 408. This small town began as a mining town for silver in the 1870s. It's called Lake City due to the large lake it's situated by which is one of the largest natural lakes in Colorado. Fishing tourism is good here due to the abundance of brown and rainbow trout which are indigenous to Colorado. Although the history of the town began much like other boom towns, there was a more sophisticated person drawn to the area. Many professionals decided to call it home, and the town dealt more severely with outlaws than did many other mining towns. Even though this was the case, Lake City has it's own interesting history apart from the outlaws. In 1874 a man named Alfred Packer was hired as a guide for five men who were desperate with gold fever. Against many people's warnings that the mountains were just too treacherous in the winter, he set out to help these men find gold from the San Juan mountains. Thinking the trip was almost half the distance it actually was, they were poorly supplied with food. When Alfred Packer came out of the mountains on his own he claimed to have lost the other men. He was seen looking very healthy and with several other wallets and after changing his story several times it was thought he had resorted to cannibalism. He led authorities to where he said he left the men, which was of course not the spot. Several months later an artist was up above Lake City and came upon the remains of the men who had strips of flesh cut off from their bodies. Alfred Packer signed a confession and was put in jail from which he escaped. He was later found in Wyoming and placed back in jail. Over the years he told many varying versions of the story, so no one knows exactly what happened. There is a plaque commemorating the lives of the men who were murdered here.

Although the history can give you shivers up and down your spine, today it is a great spot for outdoor adventures. It's surrounded by 14,000 feet mountains which offer scenic views and plenty to do. For residents who live here the estimated household income is $46,700 while the median home price is $286,000. There are great schools up here which continually rank very high.