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Cyber Trips - Peak Living: The mountains make Denver
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Published: October 5, 2008
Ever wonder why so many people enjoy living in Denver? Think mountains. All you need do to share some of the experience is to start in the city and point your car west for a short drive into the region they call the Front Range.
For a quick first step, take Interstate 70 into the mountains and look for a turnoff north to Central City -- www.centralcitycolorado.com -- a one-time gold-rush boomtown that now generates wealth in casinos.
Next, try the Black Hawk/Central City visitors bureau -- www.visitbhcc.com -- and look around for noncasino places to stay and eat.
Under "Things to Do" and then "Attractions & Activities," you will find a link to the Peak to Peak Highway, a 55-mile drive touted as the showcase of the Front Range. It is one of the entries in the North Central region of the Colorado Scenic Byways -- www.coloradobyways.org -- along with Guanella Pass, running south of I-70, the Mount Evans byway climbing 7,000 feet in 28 miles, Cache La Poudre linking Fort Collins to the North Park valley west of the Continental Divide, Lariat Loop connecting Golden to the mountains, and the high-altitude Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park. There is an eye-popping photo album with each of the roads.
Central City is part of Gilpin County -- http://tinyurl.com/4jrjjh -- which offers a link to a list of the area's trails for hiking, biking and horses, and to the popular Golden Gate Canyon State Park. You should also look for the link to the "Gilpin County Brochure," which has photos and a Web link to the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests.
Instead of turning off to Central City, you could continue west on I-70 to Georgetown _ www.visitgeorgetowncolorado.com -- a scenic mountain town to use as a base for wider activities. Go fishing on Georgetown Lake, head out on the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway, and explore Historic Georgetown -- www.historicgeorgetown.org -- preserving historic buildings in the town. And if you expect to be there next summer, plan to ride the Georgetown Loop Railroad -- www.georgetownlooprr.com -- through the mountains to Silver Plume.
Most famously, Estes Park is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park -- www.nps.gov/romo -- a giant expanse of mountain scenery with nearly 400 miles of trails, campgrounds, wildlife including bighorn sheep, mountain climbing, and its own network of scenic drives, all listed under "Plan Your Visit." And guess what; according to About.com:Denver -- http://tinyurl.com/4l6vzp -- you are still less than two hours from Denver, depending on traffic.
■ Comments and tips can be sent by e-mail to cybertrip@ap.org.
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