Silver Plume | Exit 226

Dinger Park & Picnic Shelter George Rowe History Museum National Historic District Georgetown Loop Railroad - Silver Plume Depot Griffin Memorial

7:30 Mine Trail n Argentine Central Railroad Grade Trail l Clear Creek Greenway: Silver Plume to Georgetown Express Paved Trail l

Silver Plume has a town-wide speed limit of 10 m.p.h. Please respect the safety of residents and drive slow in town.

850 Main St., Silver Plume 303-569-3121 Mon-Fri: Noon-2 p.m. Sat: 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Silver Plume is a former silver-mining camp on Clear Creek at 9,116 feet with a population of about 200. Historic buildings and Victorian-era homes, a public park with picnic shelter and playground, history museum, public restrooms, trailheads for hiking and biking and a few businesses are at the exit.The federally designated Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic District comprises Silver Plume, Georgetown and the Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park between the two towns.

George Rowe Museum The Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District conserves and interprets the architecture, ambiance, lifestyles, and setting of two of the best-preserved 19th century silver mining boom towns of the Rocky Mountain West. The district recalls the days of the Colorado Silver Boom from 1864-1893 and features well-preserved buildings, mining remnants and other unique structures.

The museum, located at 315 Main St. in a 1894, five-room, Romanesque-style brick schoolhouse, displays mining artifacts highlighting the town’s rich mining history and a restored 19th century school room. The museum is open weekends. There is a small fee for entry. Call 303-569-2562 for more information and to confirm operating hours.

Hike this narrow mining road lined with historical markers and artifacts to the Griffin Monument two miles up and enjoy views of the valley, or continue another quarter mile to an old mine. The grade is intermediate and varies from 10-15 percent. Limited parking is available at the trailhead and on Main Street. Be respectful and do not block driveways.

This former railroad grade of the Argentine Central line passes by old mining sites and connects to Silver Dale trails via a non-motorized, 2.4-mile segment that begins in Silver Plume and winds uphill to Pavilion Point, which offers outstanding views. Perfect for hiking and biking, the maximum grade is 7.5 percent. An OHV section is accessed via Guanella Pass Road. The trailhead is a half mile west of Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park’s Silver Plume Depot.

Hike or bike this segment of the Clear Creek Greenway, a 1.5 mile paved path with an easy to moderate grade between Silver Plume and Georgetown. The trail begins at the Georgetown Loop Railroad’s Silver Plume Depot — which has restrooms, a gift shop and a building that interprets and displays rolling stock and other railroad-related exhibits — then continues to the Devil Gate’s Depot in Georgetown. With views of the historic narrow-gauge railroad tracks and train, including an overlook area, it is perfect for hiking and biking all year. The trail may also be hiked uphill beginning in Georgetown.