Cripple Creek

Cripple Creek is the old gold-mining town high in the mountains southwest of Colorado Springs, about an hour away. Gold discovered here in the early 1890s set off one of the last great gold rushes in the American West, and the district produced fortunes that built mansions and clubs in Colorado Springs. Today the town has a preserved historic district of brick storefronts, small museums and casinos that have been legal since 1991. It is also the gateway to a network of back-country roads that wind past mine headframes, ghost camps and views across the Rockies. A guided jeep tour explores those roads with a local expert, and visitors can ride the narrow-gauge railroad or tour a historic mine. It is a rewarding day trip with a Wild West flavor.

The story starts with a cowboy named Bob Womack, who found gold in the area in 1890. By the mid-1890s the district had thousands of residents and a big slice of the world's gold production, and the neighboring town of Victor became a center of mining operations. Fires destroyed Cripple Creek's wooden buildings in 1896, and the town rebuilt in brick, which is why the historic district looks the way it does today.

The Cripple Creek District Museum, housed in a former railroad depot, displays artifacts, photographs and mining equipment. Nearby, the Molly Kathleen mine offers underground tours that descend a shaft and show how miners worked, while the Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad takes visitors on a short scenic ride.

A back-country jeep tour adds depth. Guides drive along former mining roads where the trail narrows and the views open across the high plains, stopping at old structures and telling stories of boomtown life. Tours vary in length and difficulty, so choose one that suits your group. The roads can be rough, which is part of the fun, and the tour is an ideal choice for visitors who want to see the mining landscape without driving it themselves.

Wildlife such as elk, bighorn sheep and the town's famous donkeys, descendants of animals used by miners, may appear along the way. Casino fans can try their luck in the town after the tour.

Plan the day carefully. Cripple Creek sits above 9,000 feet, so take it easy if you are not acclimatized, and carry water and sunscreen. The drive from Colorado Springs takes about an hour on Highway 24 and 67 or via scenic back routes, and winter weather can affect conditions. Hours for museums, mines and the railway vary by season.

Combine the trip with a meal in town and a stop at an overlook on the way back. If you only have a day, choose between the mine tour, the railway and the jeep tour rather than trying all three. Families will enjoy the donkeys and the mine, while history buffs will want the museum and the back roads.

Extra stops make the drive worthwhile. The route from Colorado Springs can pass through Divide and the high meadows, and many drivers return via the old railroad grade road near Victor, where the preserved headframes and the sweeping views remind you of the scale of the mining district. The town of Victor has its own small museum and a quiet main street with a few cafes. Bring a light jacket, because the mountain air cools quickly in the evening, and watch for deer on the road at dusk.