2019-12-09 01:43:06
The city first came to life in the middle and late 1800s when the Gold Rush drove fortune-seekers to the area to mine its riches. Get a hands-on look at the gold-seeking era with a tour of one of the area’s mines. At the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine, you’ll don a hard hat and descend a thousand feet 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 (May–October) through the historic gold-mining district. Visits to the Cripple Creek Heritage Center and the Cripple Creek District Museum are informative forays into the past. There’s also a new Historical Trolley Tour of Gold Camp for an excellent overview of the town’s historic sites. Hikers head for the trails in the Gold Camp, as well, taking in spectacular views, historical mine structures and buildings along the way. The new Mountain View Adventure Park has a playground, disc golf, BMX track, dog park and hiking/biking trail. Stroll Bennett Avenue, which offers nostalgic street lighting, wide sidewalks, shops, restaurants and more. Join today’s fortune seekers at numerous betting tables in more than a dozen casinos.Collect your winnings and then head to the historic Butte Theater for a drama-filled treat. The drive from Cripple Creek to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument — a 35-million-yearold 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. May through October, bring carrots and apples to feed the town’s historic donkey herd (1), which roams the streets soaking up the nice weather. STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Cripple Creek (page 195), Divide, Florissant, Lake George, Woodland Park
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