This historic mining town offers contemporary boutiques for plenty of shopping but maintains its traditional character through the remembrance of its roots. Our Underground Mining Museum and old mining tours hint at older times, yet you can still step back into the present by walking down Main Street, and into one of our unique and beautiful art galleries.

Located in the heart of Mineral County—comprising 900 square miles of rugged Western landscape, 95 percent of which is public land—Creede is an oft-overlooked hub of outdoor adventure, small-town charm, and geological interest. Founded as a silver-mining town in the late 1800s, Creede now serves as the jumping-off point to some of Colorado’s most popular backcountry regions: the Weminuche and La Garita Wilderness Areas, and the San Juan and Rio Grande National Forests, known for harboring some of the state’s finest fishing streams, backcountry trails, and towering mountain peaks. In addition to providing a no-frills basecamp for adventure junkies, Creede celebrates its mining heritage with a variety of hands-on educational attractions, providing more than enough entertainment for those in search of an interesting place to travel for a fun weekend getaway or a weeklong Western road trip.

Travelers to this area appeared in the early 19th century. Tom Boggs, a brother-in-law of Kit Carson, farmed at Wagon Wheel Gap in the summer of 1840. The first silver discovery was made at the Alpha mine in 1869, but the silver could not be extracted at a profit from the complex ores. Ranchers and homesteaders moved in when stagecoach stations (linking the mining operations over the Divide with the east) were built in the 1870s, but the great “Boom Days” started with the discovery of rich minerals in Willow Creek Canyon in 1889.

Creede was the last silver boom town in Colorado in the 19th century. The town leapt from a population of 600 in 1889 to more than 10,000 people in December 1891. The Creede mines operated continuously from 1890 until 1985, and were served by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad.

Creede is home to an impressive selection of attractions and experiences, making it well worth a visit. Located in Colorado, United States, Creede is home to an impressive selection of attractions and experiences, making it well worth a visit.