Keystone Colorado Day Trips
If you are planning your vacation to Keystone, Colorado and are also looking to explore the surrounding area, you’re in luck! Keystone is only 7 miles to the Interstate, which opens up a lot of options for day trips. If it’s nature that you seek, you can head up back roads to go off the beaten path and into some of the most beautiful areas of Colorado. Throughout Summit County, options abound for outdoor activities, events, and scenic tours. Keystone is also located just an hour and a half from Denver with its art and food culture, historic sites and tours.
You can easily go from vacationing in Keystone to sitting on the third base line watching the Colorado Rockies take on the visiting team at Coors Field in the summer. In fact, professional sports are available in Colorado year-round with Denver Broncos football, Denver Nuggets basketball, the Colorado Avalanche hockey team, the Colorado Rapids soccer team, and the Colorado Mammoth lacrosse team. There are countless museums, tours, parks, performances, concerts, and dining options.
If you are looking for a guys or girls night out, you might try your luck at the tables in Black Hawk and Central City for Colorado high altitude gaming. This is a short drive away from Keystone with a scenic drive!
Any of these activities are easily accessible by private car or hired shuttle, and make for a perfect day trip.
GEORGETOWN LOOP RAILROAD TOUR
Spend a day at the Georgetown Loop Railroad. Completed in 1884, this spectacular stretch of three-foot narrow gauge railroad was considered an engineering marvel and served as one of Colorado’s first visitor attractions. Steeped in history, the railroad line connects with the Lebanon Silver Mine.
The train tour takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes round trip and gives breathtaking scenic views of the Clear Creek area. History buffs will be pleased with the 1 hour tour of the Silver Mine where your tour guide will walk you through the fascinating history of the train and the Old West. Bring a jacket as the average temperature is 44 degrees Fahrenheit!
Round trip tickets are available with adult and children’s pricing. A mine tour can be added to your train ride for an additional fee. The Georgetown Loop Railroad caters special events like 4th of July firework spectaculars. Couples or friends might enjoy the Moonlight in the Mountains train rides. Georgetown, Colorado is home to a variety of shops, restaurants and museums where you can pack the day with fun and adventure.
This attraction usually books in advance during holidays and weekends, so call to reserve your tickets ahead of time. If you want to make reservations please contact the railroad directly at 1-888-456-6777 or visit their website at: Georgetown Railroad Tour.
CASINOS NEAR KEYSTONE RESORT COLORADO
Casino nights are a popular activity for visitors to the Rocky Mountains, and there are a variety of games to be played. Currently, Colorado offers poker, blackjack, slots, roulette and craps, with a limit of $100. The gaming laws in Colorado were changed in July 2009, bringing the betting maximum from $5 to $100 and roulette and craps were added to the roster at that time. Another traditional incentive is that most of the casinos give gamblers free drinks as long as they’re playing. It goes without saying that this is a great side trip for adults, but it’s not ideal for kids.
Black Hawk casinos are located about an hour away from Keystone. Among the casinos are Colorado Central Station, The Lodge Casino, Black Hawk Casino by Hyatt, and the Mardi Gras Casino and more. Acclaimed restaurants offer excellent dining options throughout Black Hawk. There are a number of historic buildings that have been restored and offer limited stakes gambling inside!
Central City, which is minutes from Black Hawk, has its fair share of casinos in addition to a summer Opera festival, nearby river rafting at Clear Creek, and a variety of shows, concerts, bars and clubs.
CENTRAL CITY OPERA HOUSE – CENTRAL CITY COLORADO
Central City is a small mountain town that has an annual summer Opera season! The season includes three main operas and multiple other events and showings.
If you are a fan of Opera or want to try it for the first time, Central City is a great place to go to see the different operas and interpretations. Central City is just east on I-70 about an hour away. It is located near Black Hawk Casinos and is ideal for a day trip from Keystone! For more information about Central City, the operas, and other info, please visit their website.
LEADVILLE, COLORADO & SOUTHERN RAILROAD
The historic mining town of Leadville, Colorado is tucked away in a magnificent alpine valley at the base of the state’s highest peak. Here you will find spectacular views, a rich history and a population proud of its working class heritage. Winding through this colorful tapestry like a brilliant red ribbon is the Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad. This is a fantastic day trip for the whole family from Keystone, CO in the summer and fall months.
Train rides are a 2 and ½ hour adventure through the San Isabel National Forest. The Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad travels north along the Arkansas River Valley, 1,000 feet off the valley floor with spectacular views of Fremont Pass and the two tallest peaks in Colorado, Mt. Massive and Mt. Elbert. Learn about the fascinating history of the railroads, ghost stories and tales of the wild from the conductor on board the trip. Other highlights include a chance to meet the engineer and take a tour of the caboose and engine.
RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATER
Nestled in the Rocky Mountain Foothills fifteen miles west of Denver, Red Rocks stands as a symbol of nature’s unparalleled majesty. Red Rocks is a geologically formed, open-air Amphitheatre that is not duplicated anywhere in the world. With Mother Nature as the architect, the design of the Amphitheatre consists of two, three hundred-foot monoliths (Ship Rock and Creation Rock) that provide acoustic perfection for any performance.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre is one of the greatest music venue in the world. Even the Beatles have played at Red Rocks back in the day. Incredible musicians come to perform here this summer, including Tom Petty, Widespread Panic, Miranda Lambert and many more to rock the night away.
To get here from Keystone, simply take I-70 East towards Denver and follow the signs. Even if you are not going for a concert it is still a great area to see and hike around, they even have a small restaurant on site that has some delicious cuisine.
For more information about concerts, Red Rocks and more visit their website.
BRECKENRIDGE HIGH LINE RAILROAD PARK
Long ago, before there were snowplows as we know them, there were rotary snowplows. These huge machines had giant, snow-blowing blades which cleared narrow gauge railroad tracks. The blades threw snow 30 feet away on either side of the tracks and were an amazing mechanical feat. Four to six steam-driven locomotives were needed to push these behemoths up Boreas Pass on the way to Breckenridge. Visitors to the Rotary Snowplow Park can see one of these machines on display and learn about transportation and the railroad in early-day Breckenridge.
The rotary snowplow you see in the Breckenridge High Line Railroad Park is not the one used by the Colorado & Southern Railway to get from Como to Breckenridge via Boreas Pass; the track, however, runs on the original right-of-way. This 108-ton snowplow was built in 1901 for the White Pass and Yukon Route in Alaska. It was moved to Denver in 1988, where in underwent repairs. Six months later, the restored rotary arrived in Breckenridge. It is one of only five known narrow-gauge rotaries still in existence and you can be one of the few to notice this great machine.
The Rotary Snowplow Park has extremely limited hours and availability. It is open year-round for self guided tours during daylight hours. Luckily it is free, but has a suggested donation of $5. For more information about directions and nearby attractions click here!
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