Foothills
Gilpin County
21 Porch Notes tied to Gilpin County — the local details that change from one part of Colorado to the next.
Money and taxes (2)
Money and taxes
Where Gilpin County casino tax money goes, and why it matters locally
Colorado's casino tax in Black Hawk and Central City is split by formula among the state, historic preservation, the gaming towns, and Gilpin County.
Read note ->Money and taxes
Why two Gilpin County cabins can have very different tax bills
A Colorado property tax bill has three moving parts, and overlapping local districts are why two similar Gilpin County properties can be taxed differently.
Read note ->Home and property (1)
Water and land (3)
Water and land
Fishing the high lakes and creeks above Gilpin County's East Portal
The lakes and streams in the James Peak Wilderness above Gilpin County's East Portal draw hike-in anglers, but fishing them means a license and rules that change by water.
Read note ->Water and land
In Gilpin County, your well permit tells you what your water can do
Many Gilpin County mountain properties have their own private well, and the well permit spells out exactly how that water may be used.
Read note ->Water and land
Selling a Gilpin County home? The septic system has its own step
In unincorporated Gilpin County, the septic system on a property is inspected and permitted on its own track, separate from the house sale.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire (6)
Outdoors and wildfire
East Portal and the Moffat Tunnel: Gilpin County's gateway to the high trails
The East Portal Trailhead at the Moffat Tunnel, reached by a gravel county road from Rollinsville, is the main way into the James Peak Wilderness from Gilpin County.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Golden Gate Canyon State Park is a Gilpin County doorstep, not just a destination
Golden Gate Canyon State Park straddles the Gilpin and Jefferson County line and is close to southern Gilpin County, with state-park access rules.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
James Peak Wilderness: a wild corner of Gilpin County with strict rules
The James Peak Wilderness reaches into western Gilpin County, and as designated wilderness it bans campfires, bikes, and motors, with leashed pets and small group sizes.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
James Peak: the thirteener on Gilpin County's western skyline
James Peak rises above 13,000 feet on the Continental Divide at the western edge of Gilpin County and gives its name to the James Peak Wilderness.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Moose and other big animals along Gilpin County's Peak to Peak corridor
Moose have expanded into the high country around Gilpin County's Peak to Peak corridor, and they deserve far more distance and caution than people expect.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
Much of Gilpin County is national forest — and that comes with rules
A large share of Gilpin County is public land, much of it Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest, where dispersed camping and motor use follow ranger-district rules, not a free-for-all.
Read note ->Cars and driving (3)
Cars and driving
The "Oh My God" Road is the back way to Idaho Springs - and a drive in itself
Virginia Canyon Road is an unpaved shelf route between Central City and Idaho Springs, full of old mine country and hairpin turns, that rewards a dry-day, daylight plan.
Read note ->Cars and driving
The Central City Parkway: Gilpin County's direct road up from I-70
The Central City Parkway connects Central City to Interstate 70, giving Gilpin County a paved high-mountain route separate from the road through Black Hawk.
Read note ->Cars and driving
The Peak to Peak Byway is scenic — and a real mountain drive
The Peak to Peak Scenic and Historic Byway runs to Black Hawk through Gilpin County, and a designated byway is still a high mountain road in winter.
Read note ->Local rules (1)
History and culture (5)
History and culture
Central City and Black Hawk grew out of an 1859 gold strike
Gilpin County's main towns trace back to an 1859 gold discovery in Gregory Gulch, one of the events that pulled prospectors into the Colorado mountains.
Read note ->History and culture
How limited-stakes gaming reshaped Central City and Black Hawk
Colorado voters approved limited-stakes gaming in Central City and Black Hawk in 1990, tying casino revenue to historic preservation in these old mining towns.
Read note ->History and culture
Nevadaville: the quiet ghost town just above Central City
A couple of miles above Central City sits Nevadaville, an early gold camp that emptied out and now makes a free, easy, photogenic side trip.
Read note ->History and culture
The Central City Opera House and a summer festival with deep roots
The stone Central City Opera House opened in 1878 in Gilpin County's mining boom and was revived in the 1930s into a summer opera festival that still runs.
Read note ->History and culture
Why Central City and Black Hawk are a National Historic Landmark district
Central City, Black Hawk, and Nevadaville form a National Historic Landmark district, a high federal recognition that helps explain the area's strict building rules.
Read note ->