Burns

Burns is an unincorporated community in northern Eagle County,

History

Burns was named after Jack Burns, a trapper who established a cabin in the area (originally known as “Burns Hole”) and lived until his passing in 1891. It gained its first official institution when the post office opened on May 14, 1895. The community’s remoteness didn’t deter its growth; ranching became the backbone of local economy, supported by the presence of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (now Union Pacific), which followed the river through the canyon. In 1934, the Dotsero cutoff—a rail extension—was approved in exchange for land rights, prompting the construction of stockyards used to load cattle and sheep for transport by rail. By the mid‑20th century, Burns had a post office, a general store (opened around 1900), and cattle ranching infrastructure—including the stockyards—anchored around local ranch life and rail logistics. The establishment of a church in the 1950s—complete with a hand‑painted mural in the altar area circa 1967—underscored community continuity amid sparse population. While settlement remained small, Burns exemplifies frontier resilience: early trapping roots, strategic railroad access, ranching lifeblood, and lasting rural character on Colorado’s mountain plains.

Geography

Burns is located at coordinates 39.8739°N 106.8856°W at an elevation of 6,493 feet. Burns has a populalation that depending on conflicting reports is between 47 and 73.

Comment

If only the Conoco Station could talk. Then again, there may not be much to say about Burns, Co.