Romantic Getaways in Colorado: Historic Hotels
Like a little history served alongside your Colorado hotel stay? These storied hotels — and they are all packed with stories — preserve their turn...Read more
Tiny but historic Empire lies at the foot of Berthoud Pass, between I-70 and Winter Park. With a coffeehouse, Redman Hall (featuring the works of local artists), an antique and stained glass store, record shop and a couple of diners blending some great homemade malts, Empire is a favorite stop for snowriders on the way to or home from Berthoud Pass and Winter Park Ski Resort.
Clear Creek County Tourism Bureau - Empire
P.O. Box 100
Idaho Springs, CO 80452
303-567-4660
Empire offers terrain for novice and experienced outdoor enthusiasts alike. Gray's and Torrey's Peaks are two of Colorado's friendlier 14,000-foot mountains, and the slightly more challenging Mt. Bierdstadt is also close. For experienced skiers, plenty of backcountry steep awaits at Berthoud Pass, just to the north, while the more conventional Loveland Ski Area is just 20 minutes away. The town's Jones Pass Guides takes visitors to epic backcountry terrain via snowcat.
Just west of town, you'll find the Education Research Trail, an ADA-accessible interpretive trail with enghancements for those with visual impariments that details the history of wagon-road travel over Berthoud Pass during the region's Gold Rush.
For itineraries of things to do in the area, read 2 Days in Grand County and Colorado Mountain-Town Getaway: Idaho Springs, Georgetown Black Hawk & Central City.
Other Cities in This Region: Alma Aspen Avon Basalt Beaver Creek Bond Breckenridge Carbondale Climax Copper Mountain Dillon Dumont Eagle Edwards El Jebel Fairplay Frisco Georgetown Glenwood Springs Grant Gypsum Heeney Keystone Leadville Mccoy Minturn Red Cliff Redstone Shawnee Silver Plume Silverthorne Snowmass State Bridge Vail Wolcott
