Peak to Peak Highway links Colorado casinos to scenic wonders

The Colorado Department of Transportation calls it the showcase of the Front Range. Less than an hour from Denver, Boulder or Fort Collins, the 55-mile-long Peak to Peak Highway provides matchless views of the Continental Divide and its forested approaches.

Summer is the perfect time to make a little detour before or after a visit to your favorite casino and explore the Peak to Peak. Established in 1918, the Peak to Peak is Colorado’s oldest scenic byway.

The highway showcases the Front Range by connecting Estes Park, gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, in the north to Black Hawk and its environs to the south. If time is short, Golden Gate State Park, just north of Black Hawk on Hwy. 72, offers 12,000 acres of aspen-rimmed meadows and rocky peaks, lined with miles of trails. Drive to the Panorama Point Overlook and you can glimpse 100 miles of the Continental Divide, or, just find a picnic table and have a scenic repast before heading north to your favorite casino.

Other popular attractions along the Peak to Peak, which becomes Hwy. 7 just south of Allenspark, include Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, Eldora Ski Resort, and the stunning St. Catherine’s Cathedral near Allenspark, shown at left. The gravel roads criss-crossing the main highway lead to high-country lakes, trailheads, campgrounds, the Moffat Tunnel’s east portal and ghost towns at Hesse and Apex.

If you’ve got more time, there’s Colorado’s crown jewel at Peak to Peak’s northern reach — Rocky Mountain National Park. A drive through the park exposes you to an array of wildlife and elevated views. You can make it all the way through to Grand Lake and back in a day, but that doesn’t leave any time to get out of the car and walk around.

Familytravelcolorado.com recommends hiking the Wild Basin area in the southeast corner of Rocky Mountain National Park, just north of the tiny town of Allenspark. The Thunder Lake trail follows Cony Creek through a fairly easy stretch of lodgepole pine forest. Within 1,500 feet, hikers pass Copeland Falls, the first of many photogenic spots along the creek.

Another popular hub for hiking is the Brainard Lake Recreation area, above left, in between Nederland and Allenspark. Although users pay an entrance fee of $6 (good for five days), the parking lots fill up early. Once you are there, dozens of trails lead into the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area past alpine lakes reflecting fierce summits.

For more information on exploring the legendary Peak to Peak Highway, visit www.coloradobyways.org.