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The Peak to Peak Highway is a designated Scenic Byway. It begins as
CO Highway 7 in Estes Park,passes Lily Mountain and Twin Sisters,
then turns south just past Allenspark on CO Highway 72, goes to
Nederland where it continues south on CO Highway 119, through
Blackhawk, through Clear Creek Canyon and down to I-70.
There were many gold mines along Highways 72 and 119. The mine
tailings (scrap rock from the mines that was dumped down the side of
the mountain) are visible from the small town of Ward down past
Blackhawk. Weekend prospectors still dredge for golden flakes in the
creeks. There are a few old mines along the way that allow the
public to pan for gold in the creek---for a price, of course.
Children find panning exciting whether they find gold or not.
This is a lovely drive, passing interesting sites and places along
the way. There are many aspen stands, so it is a golden marvel in
the fall. From Estes Park to I-70, the Peak to Peak Highway is about
a 3 hour drive.
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