Horsethief Park Trailhead - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Crags Trail Head provides access to the Crags Campground and the amenities provided there, including picnic tables, grills, and a vault toilet. Parking is available for vehicles and trailers. The trailhead is also the starting point for the Crags Nature Trail, a half-mile loop that winds through forests of pine and aspen. The nature trail provides interpretive signs along the way, explaining the ecology of the area. Visitors can also enjoy views of Pikes Peak from the trailhead.

This is the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The mountain is named in honor of American explorer Zebulon Pike. There are several visitor centers on Pikes Peak, some with a gift shop and restaurant. These centers are located at the 6-mile and 12-mile markers of the toll road, plus one at the summit itself. Along with other food, the Summit House sells special high altitude doughnuts, frying up to 700 per hour.

The Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine, is the largest operating gold mine in the state. The mine consists of two open-pit operations, the Cripple Creek Mine and the Victor Mine. It is located near the town of Cripple Creek, while the Victor Mine is located approximately 10 miles southeast of Cripple Creek. In addition to gold, the mine also produces silver and molybdenum. It has been in operation since 1891, and it is currently one of the oldest continuously-operating gold mines in the world.

Gold Mine Tours Inc offers tours of mines and prospecting areas. The company was founded in 1994 and is owned by Jim and Stephanie Walton. The company has two full-time employees and two part-time employees. The company offers tours of the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company's gold mine, the Mollie Kathleen Mine, and the Eagle's Nest Mine. The company also offers tours of the World Heritage Site of Victor, Colorado and the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.

Mollie Kathleen Mine is located in Teller County, which is over 1000 feet deep and was started in 1891. It is named after Mollie Kathleen Gortner, who was the first woman to file a mining claim in the area. The mine produced over $20 million worth of gold before it closed in 1961. Visitors can ride an elevator down into the mine shaft and see firsthand how gold was extracted from the rock. The Mollie Kathleen Mine is a reminder of Colorado's rich history of gold mining.

The Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad was a narrow gauge railroad that operated in Teller County from 1894 to 1918. The line ran from Cripple Creek to Victor, and was used to transport ore from the mines to the mills. The railroad was used for passenger service as well, and had a station in Cripple Creek where tourists could board trains for a scenic ride through the mountains. It was abandoned in 1918, and the right-of-way was later sold to the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.