Shows and Attractions Found on Our Tours

"Pikes Peak or Bust" was the popular cry in the Colorado Gold Rush beginning in 1858. Ironically, no one ever discovered gold in the pink granite of Pikes Peak, rather it was named in the Gold Rush because it was an easily identifiable landmark (capable of being seen from over 100 miles away). The discovery of gold in Colorado brought many dynamic changes to the area, including the creation of Colorado Territory in 1861, statehood in 1876, and building cities which started as gold camps (e.g. Denver, Boulder, Central City, Black Hawk, Georgetown, and Idaho Springs). Once mills perfected a way to smelt the gold from the sulfide ore, both gold and silver mining became a major industry in Colorado. By the 1890's significant discoveries of large veins of gold had dwindled. Up until that time, most of the gold discovered in Colorado had been a great distance from Pikes Peak, however just southwest of Pikes Peak, up Ute Pass, a prospector named Bob Womack discovered gold in October of 1890. The towns of Cripple Creek, Colorado and nearby Victor quickly blossomed to serve the miners in the gold camps. The Cripple Creek district of Colorado became the largest gold producing district in Colorado, and the third largest in the United States. From 1891 to 1990, over $17 billion of gold were taken from this small area. In the mid-1940's, the mills in Cripple Creek closed, preventing miners from extracting the gold from the rock, and gold production halted for many years. By the mid-1970's, Cripple Creek and Victor had become near modern-day ghost towns, with most of the buildings turning to hollow shells, and populations mere fractions of what they once were. In 1976, deep shaft mining had depleted the once fertile gold mines in Colorado, but open pit mining began near Victor. It is estimated that $270 million of gold are produced annually from these mines. Coupled with legalized gambling in the district, both towns are experiencing steady growth. Join us in Cripple Creek and Victor for a peek at the gold mining past, a chance to win some Colorado gold, and the unique views from these high valley towns (elevation 9,494 ft).