2018-12-13 04:21:33
Spend a day peeking back into historic Cripple Creek. The city first came to life in the middle and late 1800s when the Gold Rush drove fortune-seekers to the area to mine the riches. Get a handson look at the gold-seeking era with a tour of one of the area’s mines. At the Mollie Kathleen Mine (1), you’ll don a hard hat and descend a thousand feet below ground to learn about historic and modern-day mining techniques, see a vein of gold and ride in a mine cart. Hop on the historic steam locomotive, the Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad (open May–October) through the historic gold-mining district. Visits to the Cripple Creek Heritage Center and the Cripple Creek District Museum are also informative forays into the town’s past. There’s also a new Historical Trolley Tour of Gold Camp for an excellent overview of the town’s colorful past and historic sites. Hikers love to head for the trails in the Gold Camp, as well, taking in spectacular views and historical mine structures and buildings along the way. Stroll Bennett Avenue, where nostalgic street lighting, wide sidewalks, shops, restaurants and more can fill a leisurely evening. And join today’s fortune-seekers at the town’s numerous betting tables at more than a dozen casinos. Cut your losses or collect your winnings and then head to the historic Butte Theater for a theatrical treat. The drive from Cripple Creek to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument — where you’ll find a 35-million-year-old lakebed filled with insects, leaves and even huge redwoods frozen in time by volcanic eruptions — along County Road 1 is a short but beautiful segment of the Gold Belt Tour, a National Scenic Byway. STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Cripple Creek (page 195), Divide, Florissant, Lake George, Woodland Park @visitcripplecreek
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