Town of Creede | Creede, CO

800-327-2102 | visit our website

Welcome to the historic Town of Creede, Colorado! Creede.com is the official site of the Creede/Mineral County Chamber of Commerce, your connection to vacations, recreation, attractions, and the Arts in southern Colorado.

Creede is one of the last of the state's mining boom towns. The rush began in 1889, when Nicholas Creede discovered silver and other valuable minerals in Willow Creek Canyon. "Holy Moses! I've struck it rich," he is reputed to have said, and soon the Holy Moses mine became one of the area's most profitable. Railroad entrepreneur David Moffat bought the mine and succeeded in bringing a rail connection to Creede in 1891. A flood of prospectors rushed into the tiny settlement, filling the narrow canyon with hastily constructed homes, stores and saloons. The population is said to have reached 10,000 at its peak, before the boom turned to bust with the silver crash of 1893. During its mining heydey, Creede was known as one of the wildest of western towns, known to the likes of Calamity Jane, Bat Masterson, Poker Alice Tubbs, Soapy Smith and Bob Ford, the killer of Jesse James. It was written that "it's day all day in the daytime, and there is no night in Creede." Unlike some other mining communities, Creede's mines produced more than silver and remained in continuous operation until the last mine closed in 1985. Numerous mining and milling structures remain visible above the town's main street, which is lined with many handsome commercial structures that date back to the town's settlement.

Historic Creede, the only town in Mineral County, is located in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, among some of the most pristine and remote wilderness areas in the state. Travel Colorado Highway 149 from South Fork to Creede to Lake City along the Silver Thread Byway.

The headwaters of the Rio Grande and San Juan Rivers rise just miles west of Creede in the Weminuche Wilderness Area. The Upper Rio Grande Valley is surrounded by mountains with peaks of 12,000-14,000 feet and extends from Spring Creek Pass in the North to Wagon Wheel Gap in the South. Mineral County extends south to encompass Wolf Creek Pass, the South Fork of the Rio Grande, Treasure Falls, and Wolf Creek Ski area. The County extends east to include Wheeler Geologic Area (see Attractions).

Creede itself is located at the mouth of Willow Creek Canyon. A host of galleries, restaurants, and museums can be found in a pedestrian-friendly downtown area that is six blocks long and three blocks wide. The area appeals to a variety of enthusiasts. Backpackers, hikers, climbers, and horseback riders enjoy the adjacent backcountry opportunities, as well as rafters, skiers, hunters, and anglers. History buffs investigate a rich mining tradition visible in the remains of milling and mining structures north of town, in the Underground Mining museum, and in the Mineral County Museum housed in the recently restored Rio Grande Depot on Main Street. Supporters of the visual and performing arts prowl the gallery walk and nationally-acclaimed Creede Repertory Theater. We invite you to explore a bit of our area's past and present and to investigate our evolution from a rip-roaring mining town to a premier cultural and recreation center. (See the Mineral County website for an overview including climate, demographics, and other information.)
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FUN FACTS TO KNOW AND TELL
1) On June 8th, 1892 Ed O'Kelly gunned down Bob Ford, the man who killed Jesse James.

OTHER PLACES TO VISIT
1) Creede Repertory Theatre Open May - October
2) Creede History Museum in the Rio Grande Depot
3) Underground Mining Museum - features a series of rooms and tunnels blasted into the cliff face of Willow Creek Canyon
4) Bachelor Mining District Historic Driving Tour
5) Wheeler Geological Area.
6) Trails for hiking and "Gold Medal Waters" fishing.

BYWAY
Silver Thread Scenic and Historic Byway

ACTIVITIES: Fishing, rafting, hiking, camping, cross-county skiing, rock hunting, wildlife viewings, cultural events, artists' workshop, snow-mobiling, shopping in unique businesses. Wherever you are in Mineral County, you'll find that you are 15 minutes from hiking trails as 96% of the land is National Forest Land.

EVENTS:

CONTACT
Creede-Mineral County Chamber of Commerce at 800-327-2102 or 719-658-2374.

Visit our website at www.creede.com or email us at office@creede.com.