Colorado is a gorgeous state that has a little bit of absolutely everything! Museums, history, amazing food, mountains, deserts, zoos, you name it its here!! When people think of where to visit in Colorado, they think Denver, Aspen, or Colorado Springs. They plan of visiting Colorado National Monument, Rocky Mountain National Park, or Mesa Verde. All of the these are big and breathtaking sights, but they are also the same sights that everyone is seeing. What you are looking at is lots of traffic and lots of people.
While all of these high tourist sights are incredible, the real treasure of Colorado are the hidden gems. Creede, Colorado is absolutely one of those hidden gems!
What you need to bring for a perfect day in Creede, Colorado:
When is the perfect time to visit:
Creede, Colorado is 8,799 elevation, which is even higher elevation than Aspen, Colorado! This means it can get pretty cold and snowy during the winter times! I would not advice this as the time to come here due to the twisty roads and mountainous territory. Spring will be pretty brown and the trees will still be barren, so if you are going to visit, visit in the summer or fall!
Each season has a different perk to it. Fall is more chilly, but the aspen trees on the western side of town will have leaves changing from green to yellow and orange. So beautiful!
Summer is another wonderful season to go! Grass is green, leaves are green, everything is green! It is warm and sunny! The perfect time of the year to explore and this is when the local Donkey Dash happens. The biggest festival in Creede, Colorado is the local Donkey Dash which is a 17 mile run with donkey’s through the mountains of Creede in celebration of the town’s mining history. This is when I highly suggest you come.
Getting There:
This small town, and I do mean small, is really beautiful! The drive to Creede in either direction is incredible! Either come down through Lake City or over from South Fork. I highly suggest coming up from Pagosa Springs if you can.
Coming from Pagosa Springs you will pass over the mountains and past Treasure Falls at the side of the road. Once you get past the mountain and turn at South Fork, that is where the traffic will stop. You will drive through mountains, by creeks, and past some gorgeous log cabin neighborhoods.
Now if you come down from Lake City, you will also be driving through some beautiful spread out mountains. The great part about this drive is that there lots of scenic pull outs to admire the view of the mountains and valleys. There are so many Aspen Trees coming from this way too.
Point is, either drive is AMAZING! Instead of a boring long drive, it will be one that you are tempted to stop every 10 miles and take a picture!
The small town of Creede, Colorado:
When you round the corner and go north to this town, you will face a super small town with large mountains behind it. It seems like a desert, yet also seems like a green luscious mountain town. This town was built by miners and this town still holds onto the beauty of its mining history. There are relics of mining shacks and mills throughout the town. There are mining stores and museums all over, even one that is underground!
Let’s just say this small mining town is the classic old western town you have been looking for!
Your itinerary for the day:
Alright you got 24 hours to explore this small town, and for a small town it has a huge selection of things to do. So the real problem is narrowing it down to the best things to do in a short period of time. Here is a list of the best of the best!
1. North Clear Creek Waterfall
You CAN NOT go to Creede, Colorado without going to a waterfall! Or should I say waterfalls!! First up on the list is North Clear Creek Waterfall. Now if you are not a big hiker, this is the perfect stop for you!
About 32 minutes northwest of Creede, there is a turn off to a parking lot. Once you get to this parking lot just walk a couple of feet on the dirt path to the railing and you are in view of a huge waterfall!
There are several little trails that are around 0.2 miles to different viewpoints. If you have little ones keep them close on these trails as they are right at the cliffside.
Location:
Amenities: bench, restrooms, parking lot
2. Rex Falls
Next stop in your perfect day in Creede, Colorado is 10 minutes south to a dirt road to another waterfall. Park at Troutvale Reservoir, walk across the street and up to the wooded area at the base of the mountains. You will see the waterfall hidden from the road. It is short 0.4 mile hike to the waterfall itself. It is very easy past a creek and up through the trees. Definitely worth the stop, plus since you are parked at the reservoir, enjoy that was well.
This is the perfect place to stop and have a picnic lunch as well! Bring your picnic blanket and basket and enjoy lunch by the lake side.
Location:
Amenities: parking lot at Troutvale Reservoir
3. South Creek Waterfall
After Rex Falls, follow the dirt road out to the main road again and just go straight through to the campground. No worries about having to pay at the pay sign as it is just for the campers. Drive through the campground and you will reach a small space of about 5 parking spaces. Park here and behind the car is the trail to yet another incredible waterfall.
This trail starts in the aspen tree woods and leads to a small gate. Go through the gate and it is a short zig zag 0.3 mile trail down to the falls. Make sure you have a sturdy pair of hiking shoes as it is a pretty rocky trail.
If you have are traveling with toddlers or a baby I do suggest bringing a carrier. It is a very short trail, but the loose dirt makes it pretty slippery and I had to keep a hold of all 3 of my kids in order to keep them from sliding down the mountainside. It is not necessarily steep at the side of the trail, but it would hurt a little one if they were to tumble down.
At the end of the trail there is a small viewing area of the waterfall, but don’t stop there, make the steep decent down to the actual side of the waterfall! There are many giant boulders for the kids to climb on and the water is pretty slow at the base of the falls for the kiddos to play in. You can even climb close enough to touch the falls and feel the mist of it on your face. It was an incredible trail. The way back is easy, but it is all up hill, so like I said those hiking shoes will help you keep a good grip on the rocks to make the climb easier.
Location:
Amenities: parking lot
Things I wish I had brought on this hike with kids:
- Hiking Toddler Carrier– The hike has some loose dirt which makes it slippery and harder for the little ones.
- Baby Carrier- This is a short hike, but still one that will make your arms sore if you are carrying baby the whole way. (Tiny Toddlers has an amazing baby carrier! Just visit https://tiny-toddler.com/products/toddlehug%E2%84%A2-6-in-1-ergonomic-baby-carrier and when you check out use the discount code: 2Camilla15 for a 15% off discount!)
- Rainboots/water shoes for kids- Once you get to the bottom of the trail your toddlers and kids are gonna want to play in the water. Unless you want to try and put socks and shoes back on your kid’s wet feet (which is really difficult), having a pair of shoes they can just get wet will make it easier for you. Also water shoes will give your kiddos better grip on the rocks so they are less likely to slip into the water.
- Towel– The trail back is dusty and your wet feet kids are going to get all kinds of dirty unless you dry them off.
- Water- Water is always an essential on a hike.
- Hiking Shoes– The trail is slippery and rocky in some spots, you will want some grip in your shoes.
- Sunscreen– There is very little shade the entire hike, so protect your skin from the sun.
4. Coffee On The Fly
Head on into town and park along the South Main Street. Bring some foldable camping chairs and find a good spot on the side of the road in front of the Creede Historical Museum. There is a small plot of grass here and this is where the starting line for the Donkey Dash will begin, so it is the best place to set up for the festival.
Another reason why this is the best place to wait for the race to start is you are right next to a small coffee shop with the perfect remedy for killing time and sitting in the heat….ICE CREAM! With about 8-10 choices of ice cream flavors in either a cup or a cone, it is the perfect pre-race treat.
Location:
Website: https://www.facebook.com/coffeeontheflycreede/
5. Donkey Dash
This is the most fun activity in all of Creede, Colorado! It is the bucket list item I never knew I needed! People from all over come together to run a race, but not just any race, a race with DONKEYS! Creede, Colorado was built on the backs of gold miners and to uphold this history people pack donkey’s with packs and run them 17 miles through the mountains of Creede, Colorado.
There are several things you will want to know to help you have the best experience possible.
- Come about and hour early to see all of the racers prepping their donkeys and get a good view of the race.
- Bring lawn chairs because there is not very many options of places to sit.
- The starting line is in front of the Creede Mining Historical Museum. You can sit there if you want to be at the starting line. I suggest about 20 minutes before the race starts standing in front of or around Coffee on the Fly. Everyone wants to be in front of the starting line and so if gets so crowded you can’t get a good view of the race. Get a little distance away so that you can actually see the race.
- About 20 minutes before the race starts stand at the curbside. If you don’t get your spot at the side of the side walk you will not get a view of the race. Prepare ahead of time
6. Miners Restaurant
By now you are getting pretty hungry! Creede, Colorado does not have a lot of options food wise due to it being such a small town. Lets go all out and fully celebrate the mining history of this town and eat at the Miner’s Restaurant!
A small restaurant off of South Main Street, and I do mean small. It has maybe 3 tables and is very tight. Don’t be fooled though cause their Buffalo Chicken Burgers and Buffalo Chicken Wraps are SO good! Spicy yet delicious!
While their chicken is good, I do not suggest getting anything beef. These are the greasiest burgers I have ever had! With in a minute of getting my burger, my bottom bun was so soaked in grease that it was more like a liquid than anything. Also any flavor from the burger is hidden under the overpowering grease. Stick with the chicken it is worth it!
Location:
Website: http://miners8852.com/index.html
7. Seaborn Collins Memorial Art Park
Now you got your food from Miners Restaurant, but don’t eat it in the restaurant! Walk next door to a small beautiful art park! There are no tables, but there are a couple benches. It is a better view to eat in the midst of flowers, art, and a beautiful moose mural, than it is in the tight dining area of the restaurant. My favorite statue was the one of the mama bear with her cubs laying on her.
A beautiful peaceful garden to enjoy your yummy buffalo chicken, to end a great day in Creede, Colorado!
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