In front of you is the Devil's Gate High Bridge of the Georgetown Loop Railroad. However, this is not the original trestle. First constructed in 1877, the original was dismantled in 1939 and rebuilt in 1984. Despite only being two miles apart, the towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume could only be connected by rail via a “corkscrew” route due to the steep, narrow canyon. This route traveled twice the distance, gradually gaining over 600 feet in elevation. Including horseshoe curves, 4% grades, and four bridges across Clear Creek, including the Devil’s Gate High Bridge you see here. At this location the original rail line looped over itself.
The Georgetown Loop Railroad was one of Colorado's first visitor attractions. This stretch of 3 foot narrow gauge railroad, built by the Georgetown, Breckenridge and Leadville Railway, was completed in 1884 and considered an engineering marvel for its time. The Georgetown, Breckenridge, and Leadville Railroad had been formed in 1881 under the Union Pacific Railroad. The Loop portion of the line was the crowning segment of the line, crossing the top of the gorge on a 95-foot high trestle.
Originally part of the larger line of the Colorado Central Railroad constructed in the 1870s and 1880s, in the wake of the Colorado Gold Rush, this line was also used extensively during the silver boom of the 1880s to haul silver ore from the mines at Silver Plume. In 1893, the Colorado and Southern Railway took over the line and operated it for passengers and freight until 1938.
Between 1906 and 1918, the Georgetown Loop connected with the Argentine Central Railway in Silver Plume, by which tourists could continue onward to the summit of Mount McClellan. Prior to 1916, the Argentine Central also served several large silver mines on the east side of Argentine Pass.
The line was dismantled in 1939, but was restored in the 1980s to operate during summer months as a tourist railroad, carrying passengers using historic 3 ft narrow gauge steam locomotives.
We love the Georgetown Loop Railroad! If you choose to ride the train it offers some great views. Beautiful autumn colors in the fall and snow capped mountains in the winter. Traveling over the High Bridge provides an excellent view of Georgetown from above. It is even possible to see Big Horn Sheep!
Riding the train requires a ticket, which we suggest purchasing in advance. Of course, riding the train is not needed for this virtual cache.
To log this cache, message us the answers to the following questions:
- According to the historical marker, at what height did the track loop over itself?
- What year was the historical marker erected?
- OPTIONAL: If so inclined, post a picture of your visit to the Virtual Cache location. If you’re lucky, you can even capture a picture of a train going over the High Bridge!
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.