Loading...Connects: Highway 133 (West Elk Loop Scenic Byway), Janeway Trail
The log ruin remains of Mobley’s Camp along the Crystal River
Janeway, known as Mobley’s Camp until 1877, is a log ruin you can hike and horseback ride to that is dog friendly. This site is located on a bighorn sheep management area with a winter closure from November 15 – May 1. This is a site along the Crystal River by Avalanche Creek near Carbondale, CO.
The log ruin that you see is all that remains of this once important stopover for teamsters and prospectors on their way to the high country. Janeway, known as “Mobley’s Camp” until 1877, was renamed for Mary Jane Francis, a local innkeeper with mining claims on Avalanche and Bulldog Creeks. In 1888, this town of fifty people had a mercantile store, post office, boarding house, and saloon.
The Crystal River Railroad reached Thompson Creek in 1892 and was extended by segments, reaching Placita in 1899. The Crystal River and San Juan Railroad, owned by Colorado Yule Marble Company, extended the line from Placita to Marble in 1906. Trains ran until 1942 when the tracks were town out for World War II war-time salvage.
A Shipping Center
The wide valley floor at Janeway provided the space needed for the transfer and distribution of goods, and Janeway Stage Stop became a transportation center in the Crystal River Valley. The original stage route was replaced by the Crystal River Railroad in 1893. As the line was extended from Carbondale up river, Janeway became a railroad station with a siding for twenty-nine cars. The old railroad bed can be seen today at many locations along the Crystal River. The scrap marble blocks along the river were dumped from flatcars to prevent erosion of the railroad grade.”
