Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad

The Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad offers a delightful four-mile round-trip excursion through the storied gold mining landscape surrounding Cripple Creek, Colorado, one of the richest gold-producing districts in American history. The railroad loops through the historic Poverty Gulch and past authentic remnants of gold mine operations dating from the great Cripple Creek gold rush of the 1890s, providing extraordinary views of the Sangre de Cristo Range and the volcanic crater of the Cripple Creek caldera below. Vintage steam locomotives — including Consolidation No. 1 and No. 2 — pull open excursion cars along 2-foot narrow gauge track following a route originally used to transport ore from the nearby mines. The 45-minute round-trip offers interpretive narration covering the colorful history of Cripple Creek, which produced over $600 million in gold during its heyday and was once Colorado’s fourth-largest city. The railroad operates seasonally from late May through early October and is a centerpiece of the Cripple Creek tourist district, which also includes the National Mining Hall of Fame, numerous historic buildings from the boom era, and casino gaming in beautifully preserved Victorian structures. The narrow gauge steam operation is one of the last genuine 2-foot gauge steam railroads operating in the continental United States.