Exploring Colorado's Front Range - TruckTrend Magazine
Interstate 70 leaves the lower elevations of the Mile High City and winds through valleys and steep grades aiming for the 11,880-foot-tall Loveland Pass. Shortly after leaving Denver, the road climbs briefly and drops into the beautiful valley that holds Idaho Springs, a former mining town turned popular tourist stop. The city is also the gateway to Mount Evans and the Mount Evans Scenic Highway, which begins its climb to the 14,265-foot summit there. The Central City Parkway begins in Idaho Springs, too, and takes you over a steep mountain grade to the Central City and Blackhawk mining districts—now frequented by casino players rather than prospectors and pack mules. To provide a direct route to town, the Central City Parkway was completed in 2004. This road climbs the steep grades from Idaho Springs to Central City, but is wide, modern, and therefore, suitable for large RVs. An ideal base camp for any RV traveler is the Central City KOA, which is one of the better KOAs in the country. It is situated up a winding drive and overlooks Central City from its lofty perch, providing amazing sunset views over the Front Range. Idaho Springs is right alongside Interstate 70. Anyone traveling west from Denver can easily see the town. Source: www.trucktrend.com
