Crawford, CO

Crawford had 403 residents in 2020 and is a town in Delta County, named for George A. Crawford, an editor and gubernatorial candidate. Elizabeth Ong donated land for the cemetery and church, the first church opened in 1900, and the first school followed in 1906. That school burned in 1912 and was rebuilt the next year. Highway 92 runs through a high-country setting of mesas, deep canyons, and mountain country, with cattle drives still passing through the middle of town. The surrounding ranch country gives Crawford a strong western-slope character.

ATTRformulanone / CC BY-SA 2.0

Crawford State Park sits one mile south of town around a 400-acre reservoir, with boat ramps, a swimming beach, campsites, picnic areas, and more than three miles of trails. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park’s north rim is about 12 miles southwest, and landmarks such as Needle Rock, Castle Rock, and Saddle Mountain rise nearby. Back in town, Pioneer Days, the Parade of Lights, and the Festival of Trees give the calendar a distinctly local rhythm. Crawford’s story moves easily between ranch roads, reservoir water, and the older church-and-school center.