Lariat Loop Scenic & Historic Byway
The Settlement of the Mountain West

Departure:	Clear Creek History Park, Colorado
Destination:	Bear Creek Canyon Scenic Mountain Drive, Colorado
Time to allow:	1 day

The main story to tell along the Lariat Loop Byway is the history of settling the mountains in the West. First came the gold miners, ranchers and pioneers trying to make a living. Then came the railroads and the establishment of small towns to provide provisions to the miners and ranchers. Then came the investors who developed the towns and their businesses. Soon churches, schools of higher learning, art centers and concert venues were established to provide culture to the towns. Finally, the tourism and the preservation of open space were promoted to maintain a high quality of life for existing and future residents. The story of the settlement of the West starts in the late 1850s and goes to the present. All of these stories can be told along the Loop.

Day 1

• Start: Clear Creek History Park

  

  Suggested Time at This Site:	1 hour

  Clear Creek History Park tells the story of the first settlers in Colorado. In 1858, gold was found near the area along Clear Creek and started the gold rush to the West. In the 1860s, the towns of Golden, Evergreen and Morrison were established and Colorado’s Territorial Capitol was in Golden. As a living history site, the Park interprets early pioneer life in the area.

• Stop 2: Historic Downtown Golden

  Directions from previous place:	Travel on 11th Street one block east to Washington Street which is Golden’s mainstreet; the center of historic downtown Golden.
  Distance from Previous Site:	0.1 miles / 0.2 km
  Travel Time from Previous Site:	1 minute
  Suggested Time at This Site:	1 hour

  In the 1870s Golden became a city, the School of Mines was established, the Foothills Art Center was a Presbyterian Church, the railroads came to Golden and Morrison and a professor from the School of Mines discovered dinosaurs near Morrison. Golden was the first and is still the largest incorporated city in the Lariat Loop and documents the development of historic commerce in the area.

• Stop 3: Stone Pillars marking the north entrance to Lariat Loop

  

  Directions from previous place:	Take Washington Avenue south to 19th Street for 8 blocks and turn right onto 19th Street. Proceed west on 19th Street for 7 blocks until you cross US 6. Proceed .3 miles on 19th Street until you reach Lookout Mountain Road. Turn left on Lookout Mountain Road and proceed for .1 miles until you reach the Stone Pillars-- the northern gateway to the Denver Mountain Parks and Lariat Loop Scenic Byway.
  Distance from Previous Site:	1.5 miles / 2.4 km
  Travel Time from Previous Site:	4 minutes
  Suggested Time at This Site:	30 minutes

  In the early 1900s Denver established the Denver Mountain Park system and hired Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. to plan areas to be preserved as parks. Two Stone Pillars mark the northern entrance to the Denver Mountain Parks and the Lariat Trail that ascends 5 miles and 1,500 feet to the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave. Denver purchased Genesee Park and relocated buffalo from Yellowstone to preserve the near extinct species. They later purchased Red Rocks Park and began making improvements for hiking, picnicking and concerts. Two funiculars were constructed in Golden and one was constructed in Red Rocks to encourage people to get into the mountains and experience the great views of the eastern plans and the Rockies. An interpretive area has been created here to orient people to the Loop and the things to see along the Loop.

• Stop 4: Buffalo Museum/Grave Site and Pahaska Tepee

  

  Directions from previous place:	Travel up Lookout Mountain Road for 5 miles until you reach the entrance to the Buffalo Bill Grave and Museum.
  Distance from Previous Site:	5 miles / 8.0 km
  Travel Time from Previous Site:	15 minutes
  Suggested Time at This Site:	1 hour

  Denver’s efforts to bury Buffalo Bill in a Denver Mountain Park were all about bringing their residents and tourists to the mountains. Denver built Pahaska Tepee, a trading post, next to the grave to serve the needs of the tourists. At the same time, summer resorts and an Episcopal church camp were established in Evergreen to get people into the mountains for recreation and spiritual rebirth. Wealthy families (Boettchers and Gates) in Denver were building their mansions along the Loop to get out of the city during the hot summer months.

• End: Bear Creek Canyon Scenic Mountain Drive

  

  Directions from previous place:	From Buffalo Bill Museum continue on Lookout Mountain Road until you reach the intersection with US 40. Turn right on US 40 until you reach the I70/Genesee interchange. Get on I70 and get off at the Evergreen/SH74 interchange. Stay on SH 74 through Bergen Park, Evergreen, Kittridge and Idledale. Past Idledale you will enter the Historic Bear Creek Scenic Drive that parallels Bear Creek and is surrounded by open space purchased by both Denver and Jefferson counties.
  Distance from Previous Site:	12 miles / 19.2 km
  Travel Time from Previous Site:	30 minutes
  Suggested Time at This Site:	1 hour

  In the 1970s, Jefferson County established an Open Space program and ultimately purchased 55,000 acres in the county-- much of it along the Lariat Loop. They also purchased the Hiwan Homestead for a museum and in the 1990s purchased a piece of the Historic Rooney Ranch for the Dinosaur Ridge Visitor Center. Jefferson County is carrying on the tradition of preserving the past that Denver started in the early 1900s. The City of Golden purchased the Presbyterian Church for their Foothills Art Center. The 1970s to the present represents a time of purchasing more open space and reusing historic buildings for new purposes.

Totals for Day 1

Total Distance Traveled:	18.6 miles / 29.8 km
Total Travel Time:	50 minutes
Total Stopping Time:	4 hours 30 minutes