What Is the Gold Belt Tour?
The Gold Belt Tour is a federally designated National Scenic Byway — one of only 31 in Colorado and roughly 150 across the entire United States. The designation reflects exceptional natural, cultural, historic, recreational, and scenic qualities. In the case of the Gold Belt Tour, all five of those categories apply.
The byway takes its name from the Cripple Creek Gold Belt, the most prolific gold mining district in Colorado history. Between 1890 and 1900, the mines around Cripple Creek and Victor produced more than $340 million in gold — an extraordinary figure for the era. The three roads of the Gold Belt Tour were all originally built to serve the mining boom: railroad grades, supply routes, and stagecoach roads connecting the high mining camps to the railheads below.
Today the mining is long finished, but the roads remain — and the landscapes they traverse are as dramatic as ever. Florence serves as the natural southern gateway to all three routes, making it the ideal base for a Gold Belt Tour day trip or overnight.
The Three Routes
Phantom Canyon Road
Highlight: Historic railroad tunnels, stream crossings, dramatic canyon walls
The most dramatic of the three routes, Phantom Canyon Road follows the old Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad grade north from Florence through a narrow sandstone canyon. The road passes through two tunnels blasted through solid rock by railroad workers in the 1890s — you can still see the tool marks on the tunnel walls. The canyon walls press in close on both sides for long stretches, with Eightmile Creek running beside the road and crossing under it at multiple points. At the top of the canyon, the landscape opens into the high country around Victor and Cripple Creek. The road is unpaved and can be rough in places; high clearance is recommended, and the route is not suitable for large RVs or trailers.
Shelf Road
Highlight: Cliff-side driving, Shelf Road Climbing Area, canyon views
Shelf Road earns its name: much of it is literally carved into the side of a cliff, with a sheer rock face on one side and a dramatic drop on the other. The route connects Canon City to Cripple Creek and was originally built as a stagecoach road in the 1890s. Today it is best known among rock climbers for the Shelf Road Climbing Area, a limestone sport climbing destination with hundreds of bolted routes in a series of canyons. Non-climbers will appreciate the scenery — the views from the shelf sections are genuinely vertiginous — but should drive slowly and yield to oncoming traffic in narrow sections. High clearance is helpful; four-wheel drive is not typically required in dry conditions.
High Park Road
Highlight: Open grasslands, dinosaur tracks, Florissant Fossil Beds access
High Park Road is the most accessible of the three routes and the best choice for standard passenger vehicles. The road traverses high rangeland between Canon City and Florissant, offering expansive views across the Pikes Peak massif and the Sangre de Cristo range. Along the way, you can stop at sites where dinosaur tracks have been preserved in ancient mudstone, and the route provides access to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument — one of the most significant Eocene-era fossil sites in North America. Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet in diameter emerge from the hillside at Florissant, remnants of a subtropical forest that existed here 34 million years ago.
Starting from Florence
Florence is positioned at the confluence of all three Gold Belt Tour routes. Phantom Canyon Road begins directly north of town on County Road 67. Shelf Road departs from Canon City, 10 minutes west of Florence. High Park Road can be accessed via Highway 50 west and then north toward the high country.
A popular approach is to drive Phantom Canyon north to Cripple Creek or Victor, spend an hour exploring the historic mining town, and then return south via High Park Road for a loop that showcases both the canyon country and the open high plateau. This circuit runs approximately 80–90 miles and takes most of a day if you stop for photographs and short walks.
Shelf Road is best saved for a dedicated trip, particularly if you want to stop at the climbing area or take your time navigating the narrow shelf sections. Combining all three routes in a single day is possible but ambitious — better to do two well than three rushed.
What to See Along the Way
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Railroad Tunnels (Phantom Canyon): Two hand-blasted tunnels from the 1890s Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad. Drive slowly through — the walls are close and the drop from history is real.
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Victor, Colorado: A nearly intact Victorian mining town that has resisted overdevelopment. The streetscapes, historic hotels, and ore-processing ruins are remarkably well-preserved.
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Shelf Road Climbing Area: Hundreds of bolted limestone sport routes in a series of canyons, from beginner slabs to overhanging 5.13 test pieces. Even non-climbers enjoy watching from the canyon floor.
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Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument: Petrified redwood stumps up to 14 feet across, preserved Eocene insects in shale, and 34-million-year-old ecosystems frozen in stone. A legitimate world-class paleontological site that most Coloradans have never visited.
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Dinosaur Tracks (High Park Road): Tracks from multiple dinosaur species preserved in the ancient mudstone along the roadside. Easy to reach and genuinely striking in person.
Best Season to Drive the Gold Belt Tour
Late spring through early fall is the ideal window. Phantom Canyon Road and Shelf Road can be muddy or impassable after significant rain or snow. High Park Road is accessible year-round in most conditions. May and June bring wildflowers in the canyon bottoms. September and October offer fall color from the aspens at higher elevations.
Summer afternoons bring afternoon thunderstorms to the high country around Cripple Creek and Victor — plan to be above 9,000 feet in the morning and back at lower elevations by early afternoon. Lightning exposure on the open plateau is a real consideration.
Winter closes the unpaved sections of Phantom Canyon and Shelf Road reliably. Check road conditions with the Fremont County Sheriff or the BLM Canon City Field Office before heading out on the gravel routes from late October through April.
Photography Tips
The canyon routes are best photographed in the morning when light angles down into the narrow sections and illuminates the rock walls without harsh overhead shadows. Phantom Canyon's tunnel interiors require a wide aperture or a tripod — the contrast between tunnel shadow and canyon light outside is dramatic but challenging.
Victor's historic streetscape is photogenic at any time of day. Early morning offers empty streets and soft light on the Victorian facades. The Florissant fossil beds photograph well in overcast light, which reduces glare on the shale surfaces where insect fossils are most visible.
High Park Road's open plateau sections offer unobstructed views of Pikes Peak to the northeast and the Sangre de Cristo range to the south. A telephoto lens at sunrise or sunset can capture those mountain profiles in extraordinary light.
Practical Tips Before You Go
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High clearance is recommended for Phantom Canyon and Shelf Road. Standard sedans can handle dry conditions carefully, but a crossover or truck is more comfortable.
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No cell service on most of Phantom Canyon. Download offline maps before you leave Florence. Google Maps works in offline mode if you cache the area first.
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Carry water and a spare tire. The nearest services are in Florence to the south and Cripple Creek to the north. A flat on Phantom Canyon is a long wait for help.
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Fill the tank in Florence before heading out. Gas is not available on the canyon routes, and the detour to find fuel mid-loop costs significant time.
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Check road conditions with BLM Canon City Field Office or the Fremont County roads department if you are driving in shoulder season or after recent precipitation.
Florence is the perfect base for exploring the Gold Belt Tour. Spend the evening before your drive browsing the antique shops, stay overnight, and head out on Phantom Canyon at first light.