Like veins of gold and silver, history glitters through time on the Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway in Colorado. Follow historic railroad and stagecoach routes to North America's greatest gold camps, and watch for the hundreds of historic gold mines that surround the communities along the way. The byway will also lead you to fossilized evidence of prehistoric life, historic railroads, and some rather unusual museums.
Your journey begins in Florence at the southeast end of the byway. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Florence processed gold ore that was acquired via loaded railroad cars that traveled along Phantom Canyon Road. Learn more about the heritage of this gold town at the Pioneer Museum, then take a walk through the historic downtown area and explore a fun assortment of shops and restaurants.
Hop back on the byway, and take CO-115 a few miles west to Cañon City. Visit the Royal Gorge Regional Museum and view exhibits on everything from historic firearms to natural history items to a large photograph collection. Stop by the Santa Fe Depot to purchase tickets, and let someone else drive for a while as you ride on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, one of the city’s most distinctive historic sites. Learn about the area’s rich history of the Garden Park Fossil Area at the Dinosaur Depot, which houses exhibits, specimens, and a fossil preparation laboratory. For a unique twist, visit the Museum of Colorado Prisons and learn about the state’s disciplinary history.
If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, take historic Shelf Road to Cripple Creek. As you traverse this unpaved road, watch for the old tollkeeper’s cabin in the bottom of the canyon. More than a century ago, a tollkeeper would climb up the steep hill to collect tolls from wagons and stagecoaches traveling along the road. If you prefer a paved road, take High Park Road to Cripple Creek. Visit the Pikes Peak Heritage Center, which has information comparing present-day gold mining to mining in the 1800s. Step up to an interactive display and immerse yourself in the past days of the boisterous Cripple Creek mining camp. You’ll also view fascinating displays of historical photography, dinosaur fossils, and the history of Pikes Peak.
From Pikes Peak, take the byway a few miles southeast just past historic Victor to the Battle Mountain Interpretive Site. You’ll easily find Independence and Portland, two of the area’s most famous mines. Take a close look at the historic mining equipment around you, including a sheave wheel, head-frame timbers, and ore cars. As you examine these authentic pieces of equipment, try to imagine what gold mining was like back in the day.
The final sites of your byway tour lie in Florissant. From Victor, take Country Road 1 northwest to the internationally renowned Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, where you can see evidence of the Earth’s prehistoric life in 80,000 fossilized specimens of tree stumps, insects, fish, birds, seeds, and leaves. Take a self-guided trail and learn about these fascinating snapshots of Colorado’s ancient natural history, or stick around the visitor center and learn from an orientation video, fossil exhibits, or a discussion with a ranger. You’ll also enjoy the Pikes Peak Historical Museum, which covers everything from early explorers to the Ute Indians to mountain men to pioneers. You’ll also learn of the challenges faced while building railroads and the successes and shattered dreams associated with historic gold rushes. You’ll also have a chance to view unique rocks, minerals, and fossils from the rich geographical area.
Bring your friends and family to see this part of Colorado’s fascinating history, and you won’t be disappointed! Dinosaurs, fossils, and the gold-mining days of the American West will come to life as you “strike it rich” on the Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway!
Gold Belt Tour Overview