Silver Plume is a former silver-mining camp on Clear Creek in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. For trip planning, mining and railroad history go hand in hand with trails and other outdoor activities. You can choose your focus based on whether you want to explore historic buildings and their former uses or make time for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and other outdoor activities. The different types of trails, the annual theater performance, and a public transit service offer specific points to consider when planning.
Silver Mining and Historic Buildings
The Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District preserves and interprets the architecture, atmosphere, ways of life, and landscape settings of two of the best-preserved 19th-century silver-mining towns in the American West of the Rocky Mountains. The Griffin Monument marks the grave of Clifford Griffin. The Old Silver Plume School House, also called the Pioneer Building, is a two-story Romanesque-style building.
The George Rowe Museum is housed in a former schoolhouse built in 1894, after the collapse of the silver boom. The Silver Plume Jail was built in 1875 and used until 1915. At the restored Silver Plume Depot, dating from 1884, there is a free slideshow and exhibits on railroad history. The buildings and their uses highlight different aspects of the town's history.
Mining history can also be explored through specific examples: the 7:30 Mine was the largest mine at the upper end of Brown Gulch. A one-hour train ride offers the opportunity to visit the Lebanon Mine, which dates from the 1870s. The annual Silver Plume Melodrama is a theatrical performance that brings the 1800s back to life. If you want to plan your trip around this performance, check the event dates when making your plans.
Trails and Outdoor Activities
The 7:30 Mine Trail is a moderate, 4.5-mile singletrack loop. It is recommended for hiking, biking, and snowshoeing. By contrast, the Argentine Central RR Grade is a 3.2-mile one-way trail; it is also recommended for hiking, biking, and snowshoeing. In direct comparison, the 7:30 Mine Trail is the longer loop, while the Argentine Central RR Grade is shorter and runs in one direction. Length and trail type therefore give you specific criteria for choosing.
The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest surrounds Silver Plume; hiking, camping, and fishing are possible in the forest. The western trailhead of a hiking trail is also located at the Silver Plume Depot of the Georgetown Loop Railroad. This identifies the trailhead without equating the trail with either of the two trails described above.
Transportation and Trip Planning
The Clear Creek County RoundAbout is a free public transit service that serves Silver Plume. If you want to include this service in your plans, check the current schedule before your trip. That way, you can consider transportation and the event date as separate planning points, alongside the historical attractions and the choice between a loop and a one-way trail.
Discover more destinations: Georgetown, Idaho Springs.
Back to the regional travel overview: Clear Creek.
