Dillon, Colorado
Dillon is a town in Summit County, Colorado, situated in the heart of the Rocky Mountains and closely associated with one of Colorado's most significant reservoir systems. The town is perhaps best known today for Dillon Reservoir, a large body of water created in the early 1960s that permanently altered the character and geography of the community. The original townsite of Dillon now lies beneath the reservoir's waters, making it one of Colorado's most unusual examples of a submerged community — a ghost town that rests on the lake floor. Despite this dramatic relocation, Dillon has persisted as a functioning municipality and serves as a destination for outdoor recreation, history, and mountain tourism.
History
The history of Dillon, Colorado is defined by two distinct eras: the life of the original town before 1961, and the existence of the relocated community that continues today.
The original settlement of Dillon developed as a mountain community in Summit County during the late nineteenth century, taking shape in an era when Colorado's high-country towns were supported by mining activity and the expansion of regional infrastructure. Photographs from as early as 1928 document the appearance of Old Dillon, offering a visual record of what the community looked like before its eventual displacement.[1] The Summit Historical Society maintains archival records, photographs, and offers historic boat tours and museum tours relating to the original townsite, preserving its memory for future generations.[2]
The event that most dramatically reshaped Dillon's identity was the construction of Dillon Dam. Construction of the dam, built to create Dillon Reservoir, began in 1961 and was completed in 1963.[3] As the reservoir filled, the entire original town of Dillon was submerged, requiring the relocation of the community to its present site.[4] This relocation placed Dillon among a rare category of American towns that were deliberately displaced by infrastructure projects, a phenomenon more common during the mid-twentieth century as large-scale water management and dam construction reshaped landscapes across the American West.
The decision to flood the original townsite was driven by regional water supply needs, and Dillon Reservoir has since become a critical component of water delivery systems serving the Denver metropolitan area. The reservoir is sometimes referred to locally as Lake Dillon, and it remains central to the town's identity, its economy, and its recreational offerings.
Geography and Setting
Dillon occupies a mountainous setting in Summit County at high elevation, surrounded by peaks characteristic of the central Colorado Rockies. The town sits at the edge of Dillon Reservoir, which gives the surrounding landscape its defining visual character. The reservoir's shoreline and open water provide a striking contrast to the forested mountain slopes that rise on all sides.
The geographical position of Dillon places it within close proximity to several of Colorado's most-visited ski resorts and outdoor recreation corridors. Summit County as a whole is among the most recreationally active counties in the state, drawing visitors year-round for skiing, snowboarding, hiking, cycling, and water sports. Dillon itself benefits from this regional traffic, with the reservoir serving as a focal point for boating and waterfront activities during warmer months.
The submerged original townsite remains beneath the reservoir's surface, and under certain water-level conditions, remnants of Old Dillon have occasionally been visible near the shoreline — a tangible reminder of the community's layered history. Boat tours organized by the Summit Historical Society have allowed visitors to learn about the underwater ghost town from the water itself, connecting the present landscape to its historical antecedents.[5]
Dillon Reservoir
Dillon Reservoir is the defining geographical and historical feature associated with the town of Dillon. Created by the construction of Dillon Dam between 1961 and 1963, the reservoir represents a major intervention in the landscape of Summit County.[6] It functions as one of the primary storage points for water destined for delivery to the Front Range urban corridor, and its management is tied to broader Colorado water law and policy frameworks.
The reservoir is a popular destination for recreational boating, sailing, kayaking, and fishing. Its position at high elevation — surrounded by mountainous terrain — gives it a scenic character that draws both Colorado residents and out-of-state visitors. The marina facilities at Dillon accommodate a range of watercraft and support a summer tourism economy that complements the winter ski economy prevalent across Summit County.
Because the original town of Dillon rests beneath the water, the reservoir carries a particular historical weight. The concept of the underwater ghost town has become part of the local identity and is frequently referenced in regional tourism and historical interpretation. The Summit Historical Society has made the documentation and public education surrounding the submerged townsite a part of its ongoing mission.[7]
Ice Features and Winter Recreation
Summit County's cold winters and reliable snowpack make the Dillon area a natural environment for winter recreation, and the region has occasionally been associated with distinctive cold-weather phenomena. Dillon and the surrounding area have been noted in the context of ice-related winter attractions. The AP News report on a winter wonderland of ice — describing how a few icicles can grow into elaborate ice formations — places Dillon within a broader network of Colorado communities associated with cold-season tourism and winter activities.[8]
The region's winter recreation opportunities extend far beyond Dillon itself, with neighboring communities in Summit County hosting major ski areas. However, Dillon's location places it at the hub of this activity, and the town functions as a residential and commercial anchor for many visitors and workers connected to the regional ski industry.
Local Government
Dillon operates under a town council structure, as is common for smaller incorporated communities in Colorado. The council is responsible for municipal governance, including administrative appointments and long-term planning. A report by AP News noted that the council approved initial plans to begin the search for a permanent town manager, reflecting the standard governance processes of a community of Dillon's size.[9]
Municipal governance in a mountain resort community like Dillon involves particular considerations around seasonal population fluctuations, tourism infrastructure, water rights, and coordination with county and state authorities. Summit County's rapid development in the latter half of the twentieth century placed demands on all of its municipalities, and Dillon has navigated those pressures as part of a broader regional context.
Cultural and Regional Connections
Dillon has appeared in various cultural contexts that reflect its status as a recognizable Colorado mountain town. The band The New Dylans recounted the story of their van breaking down in Dillon, Colorado, an anecdote that surfaced in coverage by The Tennessean.[10] Such references, while incidental, speak to Dillon's position along travel corridors through the Colorado mountains, where travelers and touring artists pass through in the course of moving between the state's larger population centers.
Dillon has also been mentioned in the context of regional food and commerce. One account described a restaurateur who purchased used equipment — including ovens and tools from a closed Pizza Hut location in Dillon, Colorado — as part of the process of building out a new food establishment.[11] This detail, though modest, illustrates the kind of small commercial activity and business turnover typical of mountain resort communities where seasonal demand shapes retail and food service economies.
Additionally, Dillon has been noted as one of several locations outside of a primary market where an amusement park enterprise has operated. According to AP News, parks have been located in communities including Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; Excelsior, Minnesota; Dillon, Colorado; Midway, Utah; and Edmonton, Alberta — placing Dillon within a network of mid-sized resort and recreation towns that have hosted destination leisure attractions.[12]
Historical Preservation
The preservation of Dillon's pre-reservoir history is an active concern for local and regional historical organizations. The Summit Historical Society plays a central role in this effort, offering both museum tours and historic boat tours that allow visitors to engage with the story of Old Dillon and its fate beneath the reservoir's waters.[13] The 1928 photograph of Old Dillon, preserved in the Society's collection, provides one of the more evocative documentary records of the town as it existed before the dam project.[14]
The concept of an underwater ghost town has proven to be a compelling hook for public interest in Dillon's history, and it distinguishes the community from many other mountain towns in Colorado. While the new Dillon has its own community character and contemporary identity, the memory of the original town continues to shape how residents and visitors understand the place. The intersection of water infrastructure, community displacement, and historical memory makes Dillon an instructive case in Colorado's broader history of resource development and its consequences for existing settlements.