Silver built Georgetown. In the 1860s, prospectors working up Clear Creek found rich silver ore in the mountains above this narrow valley west of Denver, and within a few years the town became one of the most important mining centres in Colorado, nicknamed the Silver Queen of the Rockies. When silver prices crashed in 1893, the boom ended, but the town survived, and today its streets of Victorian houses, brick storefronts and wooden churches form one of the best-preserved historic mining districts in the American West.
At roughly 2,600 metres above sea level, Georgetown sits in a steep-sided valley just off Interstate 70, with mountains rising above town on every side. One famous survivor of the mining days is the Georgetown Loop Railroad, a narrow-gauge line built to climb the short but steep distance to Silver Plume by looping over itself on a high trestle. Restored steam trains still run on it in summer. On Alpine Street and Sixth Street you can spend an hour just looking at the decorated houses, many with gingerbread trim, wrought iron and tiny gardens.
This is also the gateway to Guanella Pass, one of the loveliest paved roads in the Colorado Rockies. The Guanella Pass Scenic Byway climbs south out of town through a series of switchbacks above Georgetown Lake, past old reservoirs and aspen groves, up to the summit above treeline at around 3,550 metres, where the views of Mount Bierstadt and Mount Evans fill the horizon. Then it drops down through forest to the tiny settlement of Grant on US 285. The road is narrow, with tight hairpins and little room for error, and the upper section can close or be dangerous in early or late season snow. Autumn, when the aspens turn yellow in late September, is spectacular.
Near Georgetown Lake there is a viewing area where you can often see bighorn sheep on the cliffs above the interstate. Georgetown itself has cafes, restaurants, small shops and a fuel station near the interstate, and Idaho Springs, about sixteen kilometres east, has more choices and famous hot springs. At this altitude, drink water, take it slow and do not be surprised if the bike feels a bit breathless too: engines lose power in the thin air, and so do riders. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer, so plan the pass for the morning.