Cripple Creek, Colorado
World's Greatest Gold Camp...
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| Cripple Creek Elevation 9494 ft. |
Cripple Creek is located about 35 miles southwest of Colorado Springs on the western slopes of Pike's
Peak. In fact, there are great views of Pike's Peak and the surrounding mountains from many sites around
the city. Cripple Creek is often referred to as the "World's Greatest Gold Camp." Gold was first discovered
here in 1890 by a cowboy named Bob Womack who worked at a nearby ranch and prospected in his
spare time.
During its boom the mining district had over 50,000 people living here and about 500 mines. Many of
these gold mines were multi-million dollar producers even back when gold was only worth about $30 an
ounce. One of the main streets in Cripple Creek is Bennett Avenue. Today, many of the old brick structures
have been renovated and house casinos, which have helped to revitalize the area as mining production
has decreased. There are still many non-casino shops and businesses, along with historic commercial
and residential structures scattered throughout the city, that were built in the 1890's. You can see many of
these by taking either a walking or driving tour.
If you are a history buff be sure and check out the Cripple Creek District Museum. It contains a wealth of
old furniture, clothing, artifacts, mine models that show all of the tunnels in some of the most famous
mines, mine pictures, many mining artifacts, and a great number of old pictures of Cripple Creek
throughout the years. If you are interested in mines be sure and take the Mollie Kathleen Mine Tour when
you are in the area. This is a wonderful mine tour that takes you 1,000 feet underground with a very
knowledgeable guide. There are still old mine headframes, mine tailings and old structures all around
Cripple Creek and Victor that you will see as you explore the area. Also, active gold mining still continues
to this day, and the American Eagles Scenic Overlook gives you a nice view of this operation.
After a day of exploring around Cripple Creek be sure and check out the Cripple Creek Soda Fountain. It is
an old time soda fountain with wonderful decor and an incredibly friendly staff. When we were there they
served Nathan's hot dogs in addition to fantastic ice cream, sodas and floats. Try one of their Mother Lode
Floats for a great ice cream float served in a jumbo glass mug. Don't miss the candy shop next door as it
has lots of old candies that many of us grew up with, but are now hard to find. Be sure and take a taste of
some of their great tasting fudge, and take some back to your cabin or hotel for an after dinner snack.
The Cripple Creek train ride is fun for the entire family and gives you a nice tour of Poverty Gulch where
many of the first mines began. The train operates from the old Bull Hill depot that was moved from
Anaconda to Cripple Creek many years ago. It is now located next to the old Midland Terminal Depot,
which houses the District Museum. The train departs about every hour and takes about 45 minutes for the
four mile round-trip between Cripple Creek, Colorado and the remnants of the old gold camp of Anaconda.
Below are some pictures of the Cripple Creek area when we visited in June of 2010. Enjoy!
Peak. In fact, there are great views of Pike's Peak and the surrounding mountains from many sites around
the city. Cripple Creek is often referred to as the "World's Greatest Gold Camp." Gold was first discovered
here in 1890 by a cowboy named Bob Womack who worked at a nearby ranch and prospected in his
spare time.
During its boom the mining district had over 50,000 people living here and about 500 mines. Many of
these gold mines were multi-million dollar producers even back when gold was only worth about $30 an
ounce. One of the main streets in Cripple Creek is Bennett Avenue. Today, many of the old brick structures
have been renovated and house casinos, which have helped to revitalize the area as mining production
has decreased. There are still many non-casino shops and businesses, along with historic commercial
and residential structures scattered throughout the city, that were built in the 1890's. You can see many of
these by taking either a walking or driving tour.
If you are a history buff be sure and check out the Cripple Creek District Museum. It contains a wealth of
old furniture, clothing, artifacts, mine models that show all of the tunnels in some of the most famous
mines, mine pictures, many mining artifacts, and a great number of old pictures of Cripple Creek
throughout the years. If you are interested in mines be sure and take the Mollie Kathleen Mine Tour when
you are in the area. This is a wonderful mine tour that takes you 1,000 feet underground with a very
knowledgeable guide. There are still old mine headframes, mine tailings and old structures all around
Cripple Creek and Victor that you will see as you explore the area. Also, active gold mining still continues
to this day, and the American Eagles Scenic Overlook gives you a nice view of this operation.
After a day of exploring around Cripple Creek be sure and check out the Cripple Creek Soda Fountain. It is
an old time soda fountain with wonderful decor and an incredibly friendly staff. When we were there they
served Nathan's hot dogs in addition to fantastic ice cream, sodas and floats. Try one of their Mother Lode
Floats for a great ice cream float served in a jumbo glass mug. Don't miss the candy shop next door as it
has lots of old candies that many of us grew up with, but are now hard to find. Be sure and take a taste of
some of their great tasting fudge, and take some back to your cabin or hotel for an after dinner snack.
The Cripple Creek train ride is fun for the entire family and gives you a nice tour of Poverty Gulch where
many of the first mines began. The train operates from the old Bull Hill depot that was moved from
Anaconda to Cripple Creek many years ago. It is now located next to the old Midland Terminal Depot,
which houses the District Museum. The train departs about every hour and takes about 45 minutes for the
four mile round-trip between Cripple Creek, Colorado and the remnants of the old gold camp of Anaconda.
Below are some pictures of the Cripple Creek area when we visited in June of 2010. Enjoy!
| District Museum Old Midland Terminal |
| Cripple Creek Downtown |
| Cripple Creek Welcome Center |
| Cripple Creek Soda Fountain |
| Cripple Creek View from Lawmen Museum |
| Butte Opera House |
| Outlaw and Lawmen Museum |
| Community Park Statue of Bob Womack |
| Mt. Pisgah Cemetery and Veterans Memorial |
| District Museum Assay Building |
| District Museum Miners Cabin |
| District Museum Mine Headframe |
| District Museum Trading House |
| Cripple Creek Downtown |
| Cripple Creek Downtown |
| Cripple Creek Downtown |
| Cripple Creek Eastside View fromTrain |
| Cripple Creek Community Park |
| Cripple Creek Community Park |