Colorado Mountain Towns near Denver, A day trip to Silver Plume

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One thing that makes Colorado unique is the number of historic mountain towns through out the state. Some more popular than others such as Crested Butte, Telluride, and Breckenridge. However, there’s still a number of hidden gem towns with outdoor recreation and cool history. One being the very small town of Silver Plume.

Only dirt roads with one main street, this is one of the smallest towns I’ve been to in Colorado. However, there’s a really cool coffee shop, bar, and hike worth experiencing that makes this town worth spending an afternoon at. With that being said, lets get into it!

Where is Silver Plume

About an Hour West of Denver and 30 minutes East of Silverthorne, Silver Plume is right next to Georgetown off of i70.

What should we do

Grab Coffee at Plume Coffee Bar

Located in the center of town the Plume Coffee Bar is a great place to check out before you do some exploring. Open everyday except Tuesdays, this coffee shop will have baked goods as well as breakfast burritos and a full craft coffee menu. Pretty cool spot in a historic building that has a welcoming, home like feeling.

Hike the 7:30 Mine Trail

A somewhat challenging trail, leave your car parked in town and then walk up Silver Street until you see the trailhead. Although the trail has some elevation gain the views at the top are pretty amazing mixed with historic mines along the way and views of the downtown area. The only downside is the highway is right there, however once you get about halfway I felt like the noise starts to disappear. Towards the top will be Griffin Memorial. Griffin was a musician in the Mid 1800’s who came to Silver Plume for mining. He ended up striking big calling the mine 7:30 where silver and gold were prevalent. He ended up taking his life which is what the memorial at the top of this hike is for.

Trail Stats

3.6 Miles out and Back

1,210 feet of elevation gain

I probably wouldn’t take a pet on this trail due to it being narrow in areas on the trail

As you make your way up to the Griffin Memorial, please note that parts of the trail become narrow, with some drop offs. If you hike past Griffin Memorial there will be a waterfall at the very top of the hike! If you’re scared of heights I would be very careful hiking out to the Griffin Memorial. It is essentially an island separate from the main trail that you have to hike down to.

If you stay left when hiking down to it, you will be just fine. I’m somewhat scared of heights and was able to overcome the fear and hike out to the Memorial. The views are definitely worth it, especially if you go in the evening.

What should we pack?

This trail does have some rockier areas, so I would recommend a good pair of hiking boots. Other items that you’ll need are a rain jacket (just in case of bad weather), hiking pants or shorts, and hiking socks. Outdoor gear brands that I really like for hiking are Fjallraven, Smartwool (socks), Patagonia, Burton, Black Diamond and LaSportiva (hiking Boots). Depending on the time of year that you go a lightweight jacket or sweatshirt would also be recommended.

Stop in at Bread Bar for a drink (open Fri/Sat/Sunday only)

If you end up hiking this trail on the weekend, go to Bread at the end of town for a drink. Probably one of the coolest bars I’ve been to. They have a back patio with board games and it’s just a chill vibe all around. Amazing music playlist too. Sometimes there’s a food truck on the side of the building with authentic Mexican burritos and tacos. They’re open until 10 on Fridays and Saturdays, then Close at 6pm on Sundays.

Other Activities

Georgetown Train Loop

If you would like to do something other then hiking look into the Georgetown Loop Railroad and Museum. The boarding area starts in Georgetown (the next town over) then Loops through Silver Plume. Coach cars are wheel chair accessible and in the winter months 1st class cars are available for an upgraded price.

The train will take you through the scenic area of Clear Creek Valley, over the Devils Gate Bridge, and through the Mountains. You can actually do a Mine Tour when the taking the train ride you just have to buy a separate ticket for the tour. Overall the train loop was a little over an hour and if you do the mine tour it adds and extra hour to the train ride. Honestly a pretty fun activity that allows you to spend time outdoors in the Colorado Mountains. I saw a number of families with kids and I think it’s a great activity for kids due to the “cool” factor of being on a moving train.

The train stops in Silver Plume for 15 Minutes where you can get out, walk around, and check out the gift shop or Museum. If you end up not doing the actual train ride, walking around the Silver Plume train station and museum is still a great way to spend part of your day. The Silver Plume train station is only open from Mid May through October!

George Rowe Museum

Showcases the history of this once booming mining town. Silver was the most concentrated in this part of the state in the 1800’s. The museum preservers the history, artifacts and stories of Silver Plume.

Hike The Argentine Central Railroad Grade trail

Another hiking trail that starts across the highway from town with a little bit less elevation gain then the 7:30 Mine trail. The hike is longer at almost 6 miles out and back but will have similar views to Mine trail, such as overlooking the Clear Creek Valley and i70.

Looking for other Colorado Adventure? Check out the Reds Rocks Trail and Morrison Slide Loop. It’s a cool hike to do in the afternoon not far from Denver!

Paint Mines Interpretive Park Colorado, A complete day trip guide

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Looking for a mellow and unique day trip not far from Colorado Springs? The Paint Mines is a really cool area with Geological Rock Formations from millions of years ago that also includes up to four miles of easy hiking. After seeing photos of the rock landscape, I knew I had to make the trip from Breckenridge to check it out for the day. What’s nice is this place doesn’t have too much elevation gain so it’s great for families with small kids or even couples just looking to do something fun, but not too extreme.

In this post I’ll go over how to get to the Paint Mines, what to expect, details, and best time to visit. Coool, Lets gooo.

What are the Paint Mines

Fifty Five million years ago the Paint Mines were once a Tropical Hardwood Forest. Eventually the forest became covered by White Sandstone from Pikes Peak Granite. Wind and rain over millions of years eroded the stone as well as clay layers in what’s called Dawson Arkose Formation, forming the badlands, breaks, gullies, and hoodoos (Clay Spires that you will see below in photos). This interpretive park is only one of four areas in the state of Colorado with this kind of Geology.

There is documentation that human life walked the Paint Mines as far back as 9,000 years ago. Humans first used the land as a way to hunt because the gullies and bad land breaks made great overlook and hiding areas. Later, Native Americans used the different colored clays for pottery and ceremonial paint. In the early 1900’s, the area was mined for clay in order to make bricks.

How to Get There

• Directions

  • Denver: 85 Miles/Around 1 hour and 40 minutes driving

  • Colorado Springs: 40 miles/45 Minutes to 1 hour driving

  • Boulder: Distance- 106 Miles/2 hours driving

  • Summit County/Vail- 175 Miles/3 hours driving

No matter your starting point you’ll drive through the small town of Calhan and eventually to Paint Mine Road. As your driving through the town, if you see a high school and what looks to be like a rodeo stadium on the right side, you are in the correct spot!

It’s a little bit of a Zig Zag, but it’s cool driving through the different small towns in my opinion. This part of Colorado is also really unique with wide open plains and views as far as the eye can see.

Where to Park

There are three parking lots; the main parking lot, the overlook parking lot, and the upper parking lot. The overlook and upper parking lot’s will have less parking with the overlook parking lot being right in front of the Paint Mines. If you don’t feel like walking far or hiking to get to the Paint Mines, park in the overlook lot. I went on a Tuesday and the place was empty, but I can imagine the weekends getting pretty busy. If the main lot is full, check the other two lots I mentioned above.

Are Dogs Allowed

The simple answer is no, unfortunately there are no Dogs, pets or animals allowed in the park.

When is the Paint Mines Open and Best time to Visit

The Paint Mines Park is open year round from dusk to dawn. I personally think late summer early fall or Spring would be the best time to visit in terms of weather. That area of Colorado can get pretty hot in the summer time. The winter and early spring would be good times if you want to avoid people. Although this area of Colorado doesn’t get snow like the Rockies, temps do drop and they still receive dustings of snow from time to time. I think the snow would add a unique aspect to the park and it would be cool to check out in the winter time.

Park Guidelines and things to know

• No pets allowed as mentioned above

• No bikes

• Follow all signage and stay on the trails

• No climbing on Rocks or Formations

• By Law, the park area is protected, do not remove or take any rocks, wild life, minerals, or plants with you

• There is a public restroom in the main parking lot, however no drinking fountains, so make sure to bring a water bottle or two.

Different Access Points to the Paint Mines

With there being three different parking lots, there are three different points to start on the Paint Mines Interpretive Trail. In total, there are three different loops that allow you to see not only the rock formations, but also the prairie area and even Pikes Peak in the distance. I entered from the Main parking lot and there were Maps and signs as you started on the trail.

It’s also helpful to download All Trails to get a better visualization of the entire park and the different trail loops. Don’t feel like hiking the entire loop? Take the shortcuts to get to the Mines. This information will be on the Park Map at the Main parking lot, or follow the maps on All Trails.

The entire Loop is 3.4 Miles with an elevation gain of 334 feet. Overall, the trail was pretty easy with only 1-2 steeper parts to hike up. The loop itself has 5 total different stopping areas along the way; the Ecology interpretive site, Prehistory Interpretive site, History Interpretive site, Geology Interpretive Site, and the Overlook. I recommend checking out each area as they are all different.

As mentioned above, if you don’t feel like walking the entire loop there will be routes less than half a mile that will take you to the Geology Interpretive site, which is the main area of the rock formations.

If you are able to do the entire loop, I’d advise to end your day at the Overlook Area, which is a view of the entire Paint Mines area from above. It is a cool site to see, especially in the evening when the sun starts to go down. From the Overlook, I was able to take the shortened trail back to the Main Parking lot. As I was leaving, a wedding group was walking down to get married, which I thought was pretty awesome. The weather happened to be great and I think if you catch the Paint Mines on a good evening it is something to experience.