Historic Preservation

Cardinal Mill

Built in the early 1900s by John G. (Jack) Clark to process the ore from the nearby Boulder County Tunnel, the Cardinal Mill provides today’s visitor with a dramatic view as it cascades down the steep bank toward Coon Track Creek below. The imposing mill building consists of four principal floors sided with wood and corrugated sheet iron. Originally steam powered, the mill was later converted to electricity around 1911. The mill remained active until the 1940s processing ore from the nearby mines. Remarkably, most of the processing equipment is still located within the mill and is one of only three remaining contemporary intact mills left in the State of Colorado. Boulder County purchased the building in 2003 and plans are underway for the stabilization and eventual restoration of the mill.