Cripple Creek

Cripple Creek used to be a cute little town. There used to be a couple privately-owned restaurants that were run out of business when it turned into a gambling town. Now everything centers around the gambling, and all of the old original facades have been replaced by ugly, derivative casino facades. I have no interest in gambling, so I have trouble seeing any of this as an improvement over what it was in the past. Bummer.

It’s a small town about an hour away from Colorado Springs. The drive is quite scenic, but I don’t recommend it for people who are scared of heights because the road up the mountain is steep & narrow with some areas without road guards. The town itself is small & seems like a mixture of old-fashioned casinos & the remnants of a mining town. The main road is where you’ll find most of the gambling spots, but the actual casinos are small with the exception of the Double Eagle (which may be the largest one there). It’s still worth a trip, if you want to experience different gambling atmospheres. There’s also a shuttle from CO Springs which will take you to Cripple Creek in case you don’t feel like driving. One way may be about $22, give or take. I’ve only taken the shuttle once & it was 2 years ago, so the prices may or may have not changed.