Idaho Springs, Georgetown, SIlver Plume, Black Hawk, Central City | COME TO LIFE Board the Georgetown Loop Railroad for a narrow-gauge train ride to Silver Plume and back for views of the Clear Creek Valley and an optional walking tour that takes you 500 feet into an 1870s mine tunnel. Bread Bar in Silver Plume, housed in an 1800s-era bakery, serves up cocktails named after famous local characters. Another option is the Central City Opera House , a 1878 jewel-box theater built by Welsh and Cornish miners still hosting performances each summer. History hounds will love the original Gold Rush maps and documents found in Black Hawk’s City Hall Annex . There’s also the new Maryland Mountain Recreational Park , a trail system for hikers and bikers that passes by mining-era relics. From Black Hawk, you can easily head over to Golden Gate Canyon State Park or hop on the Peak to Peak scenic byway toward Estes Park , both kaleidoscopic journeys amid spring wildflowers and fall foliage. Day 3 Step into Colorado’s mini Western-style Las Vegas for some nightlife action in “the richest square mile on earth.” The former mining hamlets of Black Hawk and Central City are just 1 mile apart and are lined with bustling, grand casinos as well as mom-and-pop gaming saloons and historic 19th-century storefronts. ECHO MOUNTAIN CENTRAL CITY OPERA HOUSE WINTER FUN SMALL BUT MIGHTY ECHO MOUNTAIN RESORT IN IDAHO SPRINGS is the closest ski area to Denver — and one of the few that offers night skiing. You can also book a backcountry-skiing excursion with Jones Pass Guides in Empire, who will whisk you to all of the best powder via snowcat. Stay & Play Options Black Hawk , Central City (page 180), Dumont (page 182), Empire , Georgetown (page 183), Idaho Springs (page 184), Lawson , Silver Plume COLORADO . COM 127
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2022: Page 127
