In the mountains west of Colorado’s Pikes Peak is the small Gold Rush town of Cripple Creek. The town has just about 1,100 residents, but what it lacks in population size, it more than makes up for in natural beauty, rich history, and fun adventure. It’s just over two hours from the Denver International Airport (depending on traffic) and a little over an hour from the Colorado Springs Airport.
Around 35,000 people lived in the Cripple Creek area at the height of the gold boom in the 1890s; there were dozens of saloons, an opera house, and a college in town. While the gold rush has passed, you’ll still find an operating mine in the area: the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine. There’s a self-guided tour that you can take, which includes an overlook of the terraced pit mine. The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine, meanwhile, no longer offers active mine tours, but you can still see some of the above-ground equipment and old mining buildings.
You can try to strike it rich yourself in Cripple Creek — not by gold mining, but at its casinos. In fact, the casino resorts are some of the biggest hotels in town. There’s also the historic Hotel St. Nicholas; the boutique hotel was first built in 1898. Interested in learning more about the area’s history? Check out the Cripple Creek Heritage Center. It offers interactive exhibits across three floors, and there are picnic tables outside beneath a grove of aspen trees, making it the perfect place to stop for a snack and a bit of Colorado education.
Cripple Creek hikes, adventures, and donkeys
You can catch a glimpse of one of Colorado’s charming wooden trolls about 10 minutes from Cripple Creek. “Rita the Rock Planter” is 21 feet tall, and she was built in 2023. You can hike to see her via the short Little Grouse Mountain Trail or drive straight to her. For longer hikes in the area, Horsethief Falls Trail is 2.6 miles out and back, and it takes you to the eponymous waterfall. It starts with a bit of an uphill trek, so take your time. The same trailhead for Horsethief Falls can also get you to Pancake Rocks. It’s about 6 miles long, and it takes you through the forest to a unique rock formation that looks like a stack of pancakes.
Rather not hike? Hop on the Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad. It’s open from mid-May through early October, and the 45 minute ride takes you from downtown Cripple Creek south into Echo Valley. It winds you past an old mining camp, and you’ll learn more about the region along the way. You can also take a tour of the area with Cripple Creek Adventure Tours; leave all the driving to them, and just sit back and enjoy the scenery.
The Mountain View Adventure Park west of town has a BMX track, sledding hill in winter, disc golf course, playground, dog park, and a 1.5-mile trail loop. Next to the park is the winter home of the Cripple Creek donkeys. Donkeys were a vital part of the area’s mining past, and the donkey herd in town was first made up of former mine donkeys. The animals roam the town freely from Memorial Day through the middle of October.
Museums and year round fun in downtown Cripple Creek
