The Freest Town in Colorado’s Journey from Mining to Hippies

There is a handful of places across the state of Colorado that are known as hippie towns. Places like Nederland, Manitou Springs, and the now-abandoned Drop City have served as hippie havens for the Centennial State for many years.

Read More: Colorado Was Home to the First Rural Hippie Commune |

However, one tiny town high in the Rocky Mountains is arguably not only the ultimate Colorado hippie town but is also known as the freest and most lawless community in the state.

Keep scrolling to learn about, and take a virtual tour of, the legendary Ward, Colorado.

Ward Colorado is Arguably the Freest Hippie Town in the State

Like many historic towns high in the Colorado mountains, Ward began as a mining town in the mid-1800s. However, after being abandoned, the town sat abandoned for decades before becoming a haven for the hippie movement of the 1960s.

The people who moved to the previously abandoned mining town felt as if they were part of the hippie revolution that was taking place in cities like San Francisco during this time period and unlike the majority of established towns, Ward retained a sense of self-governance and, to an extent, lawlessness.

Ward is home to countless historic homes and buildings including a church that also serves as the town's post office, a library, and even a radio station.

While the town is governed by the Boulder County Government, Ward continues to be, for the most part, self-governed and rarely encounters problems great enough to even reach out to local law enforcement.

Keep scrolling to take a virtual tour of this historic Colorado hippie town: