Hiking

Take off on foot to discover our scenic beauty and our gold mining past along many area trails. 

Visitors can choose from thousands of acres of Pike National Forest, Mueller State Park, the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, and numerous other small regional parks nearby. 
The more ambitious hikers may want to try climbing Pikes Peak from the south face.  Others may enjoy the gentle Vindicator Valley Trail, the Gold Camp Trail, or Dome Rock State Wildlife Area trails.  Every path rewards visitors with stunning scenery, wildlife watching, and rewarding photo opportunities.

American Eagles Overlook

One of the most impressive views from the Cripple Creek/Victor Mining District, back-dropped by the Continental Divide, is from atop the American Eagles Overlook near Victor, Colorado.
From the overlook, look down into a portion of the massive Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company surface operations - watch equipment extract ore from the caldera of the extinct volcano that made this area rich with gold.  Take in breathtaking views of Mt. Pisgah and the Collegiate & Sangre de Cristo mountains to the west, as well as the historic town of Goldfield and Vindicator Valley to the east.

Florissant Fossil Beds

Beneath a grassy mountain valley in central Colorado lies one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world at the Florissant Fossil Beds.  Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet wide and thousands of detailed fossils and insects and plants reveal the story of a very different, prehistoric Colorado.

Trails of Gold

Hike and bike through time on a series of trails through historic gold mining country.  The Trails of Gold is a network of trails that will take you through different historic sites in the gold camp.