Charming Creede

Take a stroll through this colorful historic downtown nestled in one of the most striking mountain settings you’ll ever see and you may just want to move here.

Dotted with art galleries, boutiques and cafes, Creede is one of Colorado’s best-kept secrets. In 1890 silver was discovered in the area, and it fueled a boom that gave rise to Creede’s beautiful buildings and vibrant community that still exist today. Its many festivals like Cabin Fever Daze, Donkey Dash Pack Burro Race and the Creede Chocolate Festival attest to the celebratory nature of its 800 year-round residents.

But one of its outstanding gems is the Creede Repertory Theatre. In its 57th season, it’s a nationally recognized theater housed in a former movie house that serves 20,000 patrons each summer. With a rotating schedule, you can see five different plays in one week. And while the theater itself seats 230, it’s best to buy tickets in advance before they are sold out.

Outside the theater, you can stroll in out of galleries, cafes and boutiques housed in pink and red buildings. As you walk uphill past the downtown, you’ll reach the Underground Mining Museum where you can go inside the walls of the replica mine for a tour.

To get a view of the town, do the Up and Over hike that leads you three-quarters of a mile and 800 feet above the town to the pinnacles that lean into Main Street. From there you can hike down the backside through pine trees, heading right at two forks to stroll back downtown in less than a mile.

Don’t miss Creede’s Donkey Dash, where burros and mini donkeys race through the streets of town and the surrounding mining district each June. It’s just one of the many reasons to plan a trip to this charming town in the early summer. In 2023, the event is held June 10. (www.creede.com/donkey-dash)

Beyond Creede sits in Mineral County, which is 96% public land. That means there’s endless hiking, biking and ATV trails, all accessible from town.

Learn more at Creede.com.