The Park

The Park. Georgetown Loop Mining and RR Park. , Situated in the heart of Colorado's Front Range, the Georgetown Loop Mining and Railroad Park recreates a significant part of Colorado's historic Clear Creek Valley. Some of the most important events of the Colorado gold and silver booms took place here and made the town's name known across the nation. Although the valley lay quiet for several decades after the closing of the famed Georgetown Loop Railroad in 1939, it was not forgotten., In 1959, the centennial year of the first major Rocky Mountain gold strikes, a gift of mining claims and land to the Colorado Historical Society formed the nucleus of a new park- a place to tell the story of early Colorado mining and railroading of the state. Soon after, the Society worked with the Colorado Department of Highways to position Interstate 70 high on Republican Mountain so as to preserve the valley and the original railroad grade for future construction., That work began in 1973, and within two years, railroad passenger trains were operating over a partial but gradually lengthening line of track. Next, the Lebanon Mine was opened, and the Lebanon Mill was stabilized for the start of the 1978 season. The final portion of the Loop, the new high trestle bridge at Devil's Gate, was dedicated in 1984, the centennial anniversary of what became known as the High Line. By the 1985 season, visitors were able to make the entire Loop trip. , Visitor facilities and interpretive areas have since been expanded to tell the story of nineteenth-century frontier mining and its impact on the development of the American West. Nestled in the scenic Clear Creek Valley, the Georgetown Loop Mining and Railroad Park not only offers educational and recreational opportunities but also significantly helps fulfill the mission of the Colorado Historical Society to preserve and interpret the history of Colorado to present and future generations.