Cripple Creek Colorado

We would have stopped anyway. It was a beautiful spot to walk a little bit and take some photos.

Almost as soon as we got back on the road, we were again leading a parade of cars that were in a hurry. Quickly after we pulled into Cripple Creek we found out what the rush was all about. Cripple Creek is a gambling town! We had no idea. We just wanted to see more of Colorado, and 'Cripple Creek' sounded like a pleasant name for a town. Those people riding our bumper were locals that had money burning a hole in their pockets.

In 1890, Bob Womack, a small-time rancher and part-time prospector, found gold near Cripple Creek. By 1893, the population of the town had grown from 500 to 10,000. By 1900, more than 55,000 people lived in the Cripple Creek area. The town became prosperous from mining and many of the townspeople became wealthy and not just from mining. There was enough money circulating in Cripple Creek to keep restaurants, hotels, shops, theaters and just any other imaginable business in the black. In fact, the town was wealthy enough to support 14 newspapers.

The gold eventually became harder to find, and by 1900 the town's size began to shrink as people left for greener pastures. If you're wondering what happened to Bob Womack, he died penniless even though his claim produced over 5 million dollars.

In 1962, the last mine closed. By the early 1990's the population had dwindled to 600 people who for the most part spent their winters waiting on summer and the few tourists who found Cripple Creek an inexpensive weekend getaway.

In 1990, the State of Colorado approved low stakes gambling, and old mining towns like Cripple Creek got a new dose of prosperity, albeit on a much smaller scale than during its glory days. By law, the maximum wager at Cripple Creek casinos could not exceed $5 and only poker, blackjack and slot machines were permitted. Casinos had to close between 2 A.M. and 8 P.M.

Sixteen casinos, some quite elaborate, soon dotted the town, along with numerous new restaurants, motels, boutiques, banks, antique and other commercial establishments. The town's population grew to 2,000.

The world recession hit the gaming industry very hard and Cripple Creek Colorado was no exception. A possible solution for Cripple Creek came in July 2009, when the State of Colorado, in effect, gave Cripple Creek a "raise" by increasing the maximum gambling wager to $100. Craps and roulette are now allowed, along with unlimited hours. The casinos now never close.

Gambling is the main draw, but there are many other things for a tourist to do in Cripple Creek Colorado. The new Pikes Peak Heritage Center which overlooks the town is an 11,600 square feet facility featuring interactive exhibits recreating the town during its heyday as a big-time mining camp. The museum also houses historic photographs, dinosaur exhibits and Pike's Peak memorabilia.

The Mollie Kathleen Mine Tour will take you on a four-mile ride on the Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad.

If you are in Cripple Creek Colorado during the summer, catch the melodrama at the Butte Opera House. Boo the villains and cheer the heroes. It's fun!

If you like history, beautiful mountain scenery and want to toss a little gambling into the mix, Cripple Creek Colorado should be on your list of places to visit. The city is about 1 1/2 to 2 hours from Canon City and about 1/2 hour from Florissant. If you've never traveled this part of Colorado it will probably take you a lot longer because the scenery is so beautiful. Be very cautious about driving in this area after dark. It is very easy to miss a road and end up miles from where you should be. In this part of Colorado, there aren't a lot of short-cuts back to where you started from.

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