Georgetown Loop

Photo: Dan Adler, property Colorado Historical Society

©2006CHS

Historic view of the original Devil's Gate High Bridge looking back toward Georgetown, with Clear Creek running through the center and the downgrade roadbed to the right.

Located 45 miles west of Denver on I-70 is the Georgetown Loop. An engineering marvel originally built in 1884, the railroad fulfilled the hopes of Georgetown citizens to become a prosperous settlement connected to Denver and points east.

In connecting Silver Plume and Georgetown, towns over 2 miles apart, the tracks scaled an elevation of 640 feet over mountainous terrain, requiring trestles, cuts, fills, loops, and curves totaling 4.5 miles. Today the Loop is once again a popular tourist attraction and an uncommon way to see the Clear Creek Valley.  Along the route visitors may stop for guided tours of a historic silver mine. The park is located on 978 acres and includes an 1884 depot, the Morrison Interpretive Center, two 1860s mines, an 1871 mill building, four reconstructed mine buildings, a locomotive maintenance building, the 1874 Pohle House, and a new rolling stock shelter.

The 2008 Season begins on May 24, 2008. Reservations can be made online beginning January 1, 2008. We look forward to seeing you! Call 1-888-4-LOOP-RR (1-888-456-6777), or click here for more information.

History and Timeline of the Georgetown Loop (in PDF format)