Leave room for wandering.

What to Expect

Start with coffee. Follow a window display that catches your eye. Stop for a conversation you didn’t plan on having. In Clear Creek, a day in town can be its own kind of adventure, with local shops, creative people, and plenty of reasons to stay for lunch.

SHOPS AND MAKERS

Find something with a story.

Take your time browsing. Ask about the things that catch your eye and the people who make them. Whether you’re choosing a gift or finding something for yourself, the conversation can be as memorable as what you bring home.

Explore Shops & Makers

Window shopping with friends, shopping in stores together in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado.

GALLERIES AND STUDIOS

See what the mountains inspire.

From changing light on the ridgelines to the character of our historic towns, inspiration comes with the territory. Explore Clear Creek’s galleries and studios, discover work by local artists, and take a little time to see the mountains through someone else’s eyes. You might leave with a new perspective and something special to bring home.

Explore Galleries & Studios

Painting a landscape on a canvas outdoors while another person watches nearby, with mountains and blue sky in the background near the Rocky Mountains, Colorado.

Coffee first.

We’ll see after that.

Friends in a small mountain town, smiling and talking, with mountains and cloudy sky in the background in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado.

Antique shopping near Denver, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado.

EASY DAYS IN TOWN

Take a slow walk past old brick buildings, browse a shop or two, and let lunch last a little longer. Idaho Springs, Empire, and Silver Plume invite you to find your own pace. Bring the family, meet a friend, or enjoy an afternoon to yourself.

Plan An Easy Day

Our Towns

Friends talking in a small town square with flower planters, shops, and mountains near Denver, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains.

IDAHO SPRINGS

Start with a coffee and follow your curiosity along Miner Street. Browse local shops behind historic storefronts, pick out something to take home, and compare finds over lunch. When the conversation runs long, settle in. With restaurants, breweries, and more windows to browse, you’ll want to leave room for dinner.

A few blocks. Plenty to come back for.

A cozy wooden bar or cafe with a bartender pouring a drink, various glasses, bottles, and cups on the counter, and framed artwork on the wall, hanging with friends and family in the Rocky Mountains, near Denver, Colorado.

EMPIRE

Pull up a chair at the base of Berthoud Pass. A good meal, a look around town, and a little time with your favorite people make a fine place to start. Get to know the small businesses that give Empire its character, find your favorite order, and make coming back part of your mountain routine.

Breakfast first. See where the conversation goes.

Shopping, coffee, art, clothes, friends near Denver, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains.

A little wandering. A closer look.

SILVER PLUME

Take your time along Main Street, where historic buildings sit beneath steep mountain slopes. Silver Plume’s mining past is part of the scenery, while its small businesses bring stories of their own. Bring your camera, follow what catches your eye, and give yourself room to linger. Some places reward a second look.

Explore our Towns

Markets and Pop-Ups

A different discovery at every table.

Warm evening, sunset, sunrise, mountain town, folk music near Denver, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains.

Something handmade. Something delicious. A conversation with the person behind it. Explore Clear Creek’s markets and pop-ups, where browsing becomes part of a mountain day. Bring a tote, meet the makers, and leave time for lunch or a little wandering around town. Check the events calendar to see what’s coming up.

Find Markets & Pop-Ups