Comcast.com
BeauJos.com
SkiLoveland.com
IdahoSpringsCo.com
ClearCreekEDC.org
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Clear Creek County Facts and Figures
Clear Creek County is located minutes from downtown Denver and is a historical and recreational enthusiast's dream. It follows the I-70 corridor for 47 miles, from the east side of Floyd Hill, to the mid-point of the Eisenhower Tunnel below the Continental Divide. Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Empire and Silver Plume are situated in very narrow, breathtaking and spectacular valleys.
Publicly owned land, primarily The Arapahoe National Forest and Mt. Evans Wilderness area, comprises 77% of the county and provides a wealth of opportunities for recreational activities, including climbing, hiking, biking, white water rafting, horseback riding, skiing, snowshoeing, four-wheeling, hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing.
· SIZE, Square Miles: 396
· 203.7MILES OF COUNTY ROADS
· POPULATION: 9,322
· ACRES OF PUBLIC LAND: 184,191
Less than 3% of Clear Creek County is I-70
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| Things to know....
WHAT TO WEAR
There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing!
For summer touring, light clothing is advisable for outdoor wear. It is generally warm during the days. However, in the evenings, the temperature cools down and might require a light jacket or sweater. At high altitude you should be prepared for blizzard conditions at ANY time of the year..
TEMPERATURES
High/Low Summer Average (June-August) 76º/41º
High/Low Winter Average (Dec-Feb) 45º/15º
Most extreme +95º high -48º low F
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Clear Creek County is blessed with...
Four 14,000 foot peaks
Mt. Evans,
Mt. Bierstadt,
Gray's Peak
Torrey's Peak
Scenic and Historic Byways
Mt. Evans and
Guanella Pass,
Oh My Gawd Road,
Loveland Pass
Berthoud Pass
Three National Historic Districts (2 of which
combine to form a National Landmark
Historic District)
Hundreds of Historical Landmark properties in and around Idaho Springs, Georgetown & Silver Plume, and Empire
Hundreds of recreational trails including a bike path that runs completely through the county from our border with Jefferson County to our border with Summit County, the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail
The Continental Divide
Water falling on one side of the divide eventually travels to Pacific Ocean, and water on the other side travels to the Atlantic Ocean.
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Discover Then. Discover Now.
The founding and growth of the towns in Clear Creek County was the direct result of the George Jackson gold discovery on Chicago Creek, in current day Idaho Springs in January 1859. On November 1, 1861, the Territorial legislature of Colorado named Idahoe as the County seat. The first settlement in the county was at Spanish Bar, two miles west of a Idaho Springs. It was so named as the placer miners found evidence of earlier mining activities by the Spanish. In 1873 the town of Idahoe City was established. It was renamed Idaho Springs in 1876. All of the cities and towns in Clear Creek County grew up around gold and silver discoveries on the famous "Colorado Mineral Belt" which runs right through the heart of the county.
In April 1941, the US Government issued an order classifying Gold mining as a non-essential industry. This order barred the miners of Clear Creek County from obtaining necessary equipment and supplies. The gold mining era was over. Today mining has all but disappeared. The Henderson Mine and Phoenix Gold Mine are the only active mines of any size left in the county. The county now depends on tourism as its major source of revenue. | |
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