SILVER PLUME — In the last few years, this tiny historic mining village straddling Interstate 70 has emerged as one of the most conservation-minded towns in the state. The home to 210 residents earlier this month closed a deal for 122 mining claims on the top of Republican Mountain nearby, adding about 350 acres to its 300-acre Silver Plume Mountain Park.
So for every Silver Plume resident, there’s protection for a little more than 3 acres of historic land in the headwaters of Clear Creek.
It started in the early 1990s, when the Bureau of Land Management transferred around 3,200 acres to the then-nascent Historic District Public Lands Commission in a deal that included about 600 acres for Silver Plume.
In 2022, Silver Plume spent $500,000 on about 200 acres — including 95 of the Jack Pine mining claims — from a family who had owned them for generations. Adding those acres to the town’s mountain park, which spans I-70, permanently removed the prospect of mining or development on the steep terrain inside the Georgetown–Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District.
In the past year the town again rallied its partners — like the Clear Creek County Open Space Commission, the Colorado Historical Foundation and Great Outdoors Colorado, as well dozens of individuals and history and wildlife advocacy groups — to raise nearly $900,000 to buy 122 mining claims from a private owner. The effort was kick-started with $300,000 from GOCO in December. The addition of 350 acres of Taylor-Kennedy mining claims permanently removes the threat of roads and development within the high-altitude parcels where the Georgetown bighorn sheep herd spends its winters.
“People were very enthusiastic about this. It just makes sense to preserve what we have and not let it get ruined,” said Claudia Culp, who helped organize the fundraising effort.
It’s not likely the land will ever be developed, even for recreation. There is a lot of loose rock among the mining claims and even building trails could be challenging.
“It’s hard enough just to maintain this trail,” said Mark Morris, a pro skier who lives in Silver Plume and serves on the town’s new mountain park commission, as he runs up the historic 7:30 Mining Trail, kicking aside loose rocks in the steep, 2-mile path.
Several years ago the town installed QR-coded signposts along the 7:30 trail. The codes direct hikers to brief online reflections on the rich history of the region. About halfway up the hike, weathered timbers clog Cherokee gulch. In February 1899 an avalanche swept down the valley, ripping out mining buildings and killing 10 people. The slide stopped mere feet short of barreling into the town, which was home to more than 2,000 people during the silver boom.
There are about 25 historical mining structures on the newly acquired land, including tunnels, shacks and old bunkhouses. Most of those can be seen from the old 7:30 Mining Trail, which served mines on Republican Mountain in the late 1800s.
There’s some early talk about more educational kiosks and signage to help visitors better understand Silver Plume’s role in Colorado’s brief but vibrant silver mining history. “It’s a fascinating historical site,” said Christine Strickland, the head of land and water conservation for the Mountain Area Land Trust, which shepherded the conservation deal. “One of the priorities for Silver Plume is to really build up the educational opportunities of this acquisition.”