Mines once bustling with hopeful gold-seekers, colorful Victorian buildings set against rugged canyon walls, snow-flecked 14,000-foot peaks cradled by unscathed woodlands — there’s so much to experience in Idaho Springs, Empire, Georgetown and Silver Plume.
Charming Mountain Towns
After the first significant discovery of gold during the Colorado gold rush was made in Idaho Springs in 1859, eager prospectors flocked to the area with hopes of hitting the mother lode — fueling the establishment of boom towns like Idaho Springs, Empire, Georgetown and Silver Plume. Many of the stately Victorian structures built during the time now house locally owned shops and restaurants in the high-altitude enclaves. Stroll streets lined with hidden gems, from art galleries exhibiting local photography and paintings and boutiques packed with Colorado-made treasures to craft breweries and distilleries featuring locally inspired concoctions.
Immersive Mine Tours
When visiting Idaho Springs, tour the Argo Mill and Tunnel, where you can visit what was once the longest mining tunnel in the world and walk through the original mill. Or visit the Phoenix Gold Mine, an operational mine that continues to extract gold, silver and copper from the earth. Groups of 10 or more can check out the Edgar Experimental Mine, an 1870s-era mine that that now serves as an underground laboratory operated by the Colorado School of Mines. Learn more about mine tours in Idaho Springs and Georgetown
Heart-Stirring Train Rides
A monumental piece of the county’s mining heyday lives on in the Georgetown Loop Railroad, a train that’s been chugging from Georgetown to Silver Plume since 1884. Complement a ride on the locomotive with a summer tour of the Everett or Lebanon Silver mines, complete with a look inside the underground tunnels. A beloved family attraction, the railroad runs from Memorial Day to January and offers several popular excursions during the fall and winter months, including Oktoberfest and Santa’s Lighted Forest trains. Let C.J. Miner — Clear Creek County’s mascot — help you discover more about the area’s rich mining and railroad heritage
One-of-a-Kind History Museums
Step into a five-room brick schoolhouse that educated students from 1894 to 1959 at Silver Plume’s George Rowe Museum, or find out how mining helped establish the town of Idaho Springs and the state of Colorado at the Idaho Springs Heritage Museum and U.S. Forest Service Visitor Center. The Underhill Museum in Idaho Springs offers a peek into the life of a mining engineer, while Georgetown’s Hotel de Paris Museum showcases the original furnishings of the town’s first luxury hotel and restaurant — founded by a famously eccentric French miner. Nearby, the Georgetown Energy Museum, Hamill House Museum and Alpine Hose No. 2 Firefighting Museum are also worth a visit. Check out more museums in Clear Creek County
Replenishing Hot Springs
Indian Hot Springs’ steaming pools and baths — the closest hot springs near Denver — are fed with natural mineral-rich waters, which were considered sacred by the Ute and Arapaho people long before gold was discovered in the surrounding hills. In 1863, Dr. E.M. Cummings invested in the grounds and built a log and wood frame house near what was then called a “hot water mine” and charged patrons for health baths. Today, you can take a dip in the swimming pool or in a private bath, unwind in a geo-thermal cave constructed in the early 1900s or admire views of the surrounding area in an outdoor hot tub (particularly enjoyable as snowflakes fall from the sky in the winter). Relaxing spa treatments and accommodations on-site are also available.